Green is the Colour of New Beginnings
by limegreenarcher
Summary: Red may be the colour of fate, but green is the colour of new beginnings; growing, striving for more and finding balance. So when Ren, an 18 year old blacksmith, discovers a chance for a new beginning, she grabs it with both hands. But that chance, the chance to be an Apprentice Court Blacksmith in Wistal Palace, may bring Ren more than she could ever have dreamed of.
1. Chapter 1: The Poster

**Disclaimer: All rights go to the owner of Akagami no Shirayukihime, I only own my OC's (this applies to the whole story because I know I'll forget)**

* * *

"-and the new recruits have almost finished their training with the Imperial Guards. They will be graduating in a month's time and placed on guard duty with some of the current soldiers after the ceremony, in order to keep an eye on them. "

A slow, authoritative nod came from the figure by the window, the last of the suns golden rays illuminating his face, giving his light blond hair a rich, golden hue, and casting long shadows across the grand, but quiet room, the only two living creatures occupying it being the two men. The herald looked down again at his report, quickly scanning the information before he relayed it to the prince:

"However, I'm afraid there will be no ceremonial swords for the recruit's graduation, Your Highness, due to an unfortunate accident concerning the Court Blacksmith."

At this the prince's head turned slightly towards the herald in interest, having not yet heard of this 'unfortunate accident' concerning the Palaces only blacksmith. The herald continued:

"Whilst re-shoeing one of the Palaces stallions the horse became spooked, causing it to buck. The Court Blacksmith was able to dodge most of the blow and escape with his life, however his right arm is broken and the Court Herbalists have informed me he will be unable to work for… six weeks at least, two months at most."

The first Prince of Clarines looked down in thought, the sun sinking ever lower in the sky and the shadows cast by the frames of the tall windows becoming longer and darker. The herald stood in the middle of the large room, attentively waiting for his prince's reply.

Izana knew that the graduation ceremony could continue without the ceremonial swords, which could be given to the new soldiers at a later date, however that wasn't following tradition and a few of the recruits would most likely be a little upset at the small change to their graduation; they had spent the good part of two years training, after all. He also knew that their graduation could be postponed until the blacksmith was well again, however that would again likely upset the recruits and put too much pressure onto the blacksmith to make the swords quickly, putting too much strain on his newly healed arm.

 _No_ , Izana thought, _neither of these options will suffice._

The Court Blacksmith had been from the same family for generations, sons becoming apprentices to their fathers until the latter passed away, passing on the mantel to his son, who by that time had learned all of the skills necessary and of course the families tricks of the trade. Yet it happened to be the case that the current blacksmith did not have a son, nor any children, nor a wife for that matter. He had no legacy, no-one to which he could pass on his knowledge to before he eventually passed away; though that was thankfully quite a way off.

 _I think it is time our Court Blacksmith finally gained an apprentice._

Once again gazing out at the sunset, Izana said, "Inform the blacksmith that he must hold an exam in a weeks' time to find an apprentice. He may only take on one, but it is his decision as to who it shall be and what the exam will comprise of. If he has any inquires he may come and see me."

The herald quickly scribbled the details onto a new piece of paper, bowing to the Crown Prince saying, "I shall inform him immediately, Your Highness."

Sensing that the herald had finished his report, Izana dismissed him.

 _It will be interesting to see what test the blacksmith devises on such short notice_ , Izana pondered, _and who it is he shall pick to be his apprentice._

* * *

The cloaked figure's boots thumped against the packed earth of the Eastern village's main road, the two rabbits that were tied to her belt by their hind paws swinging to the rhythm of her footsteps. In her left hand she held her bow, the ends of the dark, polished wood gently curving upwards, the twisted sinew of the bowstring taut between the two limbs, and on her back was slung a simple leather quiver, full of finely fletched arrows.

She walked along the edges of the village centre on her way home from the mornings hunt, hoping to grab some lunch before getting to work, but upon hearing a commotion coming from the centre of the market square, she paused and glanced towards the sound.

Upon the hooded figure turning her head, you would be able to discern the bright, welcoming face of a lightly tanned young woman in her late teens, her eyes a rich brown, like fresh soil after a downpour of rain, and it was only if you could get close enough to her that you would be able to see the light green flecks in the centre of her iris, like the first shoots emerging from the ground in spring. Under these eyes was a slightly crooked nose, as though it had been broken many years ago, and above the eyes, in the shadow created by the hood, was a barely visible side fringe of chestnut brown hair.

As the archer stood tall and proud she observed the commotion in the market square. Everyone was gathered round the village's noticeboard, muttering excitedly to each other as men, woman and children speculated as to what was happening, the villagers at the back craning their necks and standing on their tiptoes to try and get a better view of the action. The archer had no idea as to what the fuss was about – especially when it was centred on the village's noticeboard – but decided she would return later anyway, when the crowd had diffused, so she could satisfy her curiosity.

Just as she was about to turn and continue on her journey home, a man broke free from the crowd and headed towards an ochre stallion tied to one of the posts at the edge of the market square. The middle-aged man's clothes caught her eye, and she followed his movement as the crowd of villagers descended upon the noticeboard; the clothes were much finer than anything the people in the village wore and much cleaner too. She studied the well-groomed man as he mounted his horse, and just before he rode off she spotted a symbol embroidered into one of the saddlebags.

 _No wonder everyone's excited,_ she thought in slight awe, her curiosity rising at the sight it.

It was the sigil of the Royal family of Clarines; a flower like shape composed of six diamonds, set above a square with two sets of wing like shapes on either side of it.

Which meant that man was a messenger from Wistal Palace. From the capital of Clarines. From the Royal family themselves.

No matter how much her curiosity begged her to go and take a look at whatever it was the Royal Messenger had hammered to the noticeboard, the young woman knew it would be almost impossible to get a good look at it with the bustling swarm of people surrounding it, and even from this distance she could make out elbows jabbing and feet stomping. She could even hear a few disgruntled shouts as people barged each other out of the way in their eagerness. She shuddered slightly at the thought of such close and intimate contact with so many people, so decided it would be best to wait till later as she had originally planned.

Yet just as she turned to continue on her journey for a second time that day, the shrill voices of two middle-aged women met her ears.

She could recognise those two voices anywhere; almost everyone in the village could. They belonged to two of the biggest gossips in the Eastern settlement, and the archer suspected that they could be the biggest gossips in all of Clarines. It was highly probable that they had arrived at the noticeboard first, as soon as the Royal Messenger had been spotted, and it was likely that they had spread the news of his arrival even faster. It was even more probable that they had gotten to the information on the noticeboard first, most likely pushing and jabbing anyone who dared get in their way. In fact, the young woman was willing to bet everything she owned on the fact that they had, upon reaching the information first, pushed and jabbed their way back out of the crowd, going off to spread their newly acquired information to anyone who hadn't been able to leave home or work for the event.

Despite knowing that their gossip was mostly just that and could not be entirely trusted, due to the women's inclinations to exaggerate and lie, the hooded figures ears perked at the sound of their loud, shrill voices.

"What a shame it wasn't something juicer. It is very rare after all, that we hear news from the Palace."

"Still, some information is better than none, even if it is just about the Courts Blacksmith."

It was at those two precious words, _Court Blacksmith_ , that the world stopped turning for the young woman standing by the edge of the market square. The shrill voices of the two gossipers were drowned out by those two words, all sounds ceased to be for the girl in fact, the words echoing in her mind as they repeated themselves over and over and over.

 _Court Blacksmith. Court Blacksmith. Court Blacksmith._

Sucking in a deep breath, the girl suddenly spun on her heel, her feet racing towards the noticeboard as fast as they could, her cloak billowing behind her.

People be damned, she had to get a look at that notice. And it couldn't wait till later, not anymore.

With those same two words still repeating themselves in her mind, she pushed her way through the crowd that was still gathered around the noticeboard, accidentally clocking an old man around the face with the ends of her arrows on her way through.

When she finally reached the noticeboard she was panting heavily, great huffs of air being released from her lungs despite the shortness of the journey. In her excitement, it took the young woman a few minutes to register what was written upon the poster nailed to the village's noticeboard. But all she needed to see was the word 'Apprentice', written in neat cursive, before she ripped the poster from the noticeboard and once again spun on her heel, pushing her way back through the crowd.

The young woman did not notice the crowds murmuring, nor did she see the angry and disapproving looks she got from a few members of the crowd, most of which came from people she had shoved or accidentally hit with her arrows on her way through.

The only sensations the girl could feel was her feet pounding the solid earth beneath her, and the stiff parchment of the poster gripped tightly in her gloved hand as she headed for home.

In her haste, the rabbits on her belt thumped into her legs due to their erratic swinging, and the hood that had once covered her head flew down, revealing the rest of her long, slightly frizzy brown hair to be in a ponytail, tied with a wide, plain, emerald ribbon, the wavy locks swinging just as erratically as the rabbits; but the young woman's hair was not completely brown, as there was a good portion at the end of her hair that was deep, rich shade of forest green.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi guys. So this is my first story and I welcome any constructive criticism you may have. I've been planning this story for a while now, doing research and an awful lot of daydreaming (an hour long bus journey everyday can actually be quite useful!) and I really hope you like it. I've only just starting writing because I have now finished college for the year so please review and tell me what you think! Thank you for reading,  
-Limegreenarcher**


	2. Chapter 2: The Journey Begins

_BOOM!_

The heavy wooden door of the village forge was slammed open, a cloaked young woman tumbling in, her heavy breaths echoing off the stone walls as she frantically waved a stiff piece of parchment around.

The occupants of the forge looked at the girl with varying degrees of surprise and shock evident on their faces, the widest eyes belonging to the forges apprentice, Sayuri. She was in her mid-twenties and had straight, black cropped hair and misty blue eyes, which constantly had bags under them from lack of sleep. Having been at the forge for only two years, Sayuri wasn't as used to the young woman's antics as the other two occupants of the forge were.

"Mum!" _*puff*_ "Dad!" _*puff*_ "Look-Look at this!" _*puff*._

The stifling heat of the forge was only making the young woman's cheeks redder, having already been a vibrant shade from the exertion of sprinting all the way from the market square, and she rested her arms on her knees, back bent and trying to regain her breath.

The two occupants in question put down their tools and made sure nothing would melt or catch fire as they made their way over to their flustered daughter; it was very rare that she behaved in this manner, and it concerned them a little bit to see her like this.

"What is it, Ren?" the woman asked.

However, the only reply she got was more frantic waving of the parchment clutched in her daughter's hand, and the occasional huff of "Poster…Noticeboard…Market… Square…"

The two adults exchanged questioning glances with each other and tried to pry further into what their only daughter was talking about, but to no avail. All they got was more huffing and panting as she tried to catch her breath, and broken sentences which made very little sense; the news had not yet reached them that a Royal Messenger had been in town and they had been busy in the forge since before dawn.

Sayuri returned to her work, seeing no reason to watch the family's conversation whilst it was just as entertaining (yet also a little frustrating) to listen too.

Ren's mother was a fairly short woman, Sayuri keeping her company in the height department and enduring the teasing of the taller people of the forge; namely Ren and her father, Reizo. But what Ren's mother lacked in size she made up for in strength. Kaiya was a power house and often won the arm wrestling competitions that were occasionally held at the local pub, her small stature and unassuming appearance aiding her when she came up against strangers; for they did not know the strength in the arms of the small woman with a warm, friendly smile, mahogany eyes and brown hair that verged on black it was so dark, styled into a short bob cut.

Kaiya had earned her strength from endless years of working in the forge, but her strength surpassed even her husbands, for she also cooked, cleaned and carried all of the things the forge and the family needed when she went to the market each week; groceries, sacks of coal, and the like. Her muscles were so pronounced when she flexed that it scared Ren a little (not that she would ever admit that), the woman's small stature only emphasising their size more.

Ren's father was almost on the other end of the spectrum entirely. Reizo was so tall that he would often hit his head on the top of doorframes, and so by his late teens he had developed a very slumped, bowed posture to try and avoid such occurrences; it didn't help a lot and you could hear him grumble under his breath every time it happened. He was tall and lanky but he had strong, lean muscles from working in the forge his entire life and from the archery he had practiced since he was 10.

Reizo had a much more stoic face, his mop of shaggy, dark brown hair often falling into his deep, ultramarine eyes; despite his serious appearance, his family, and now Sayuri, knew for a fact that he was a drama queen and could often overreact without even realising it (though this only ever happened around close friends and family).

The pair looked at their daughter in exasperation, their annoyance at her inability to communicate steadily rising as she continued to pant out random words. Their frustration only grew when the poster (they had managed to work that much out at least) came dangerously close to Kaiya's face on its frantic journey through the air.

"Ren," Reizo said, his gruff voice rising slightly in his frustration, which was evident in his tone, "stop waving that damn thing around and tell us what it is already."

At her father's tone Ren glanced up, pausing the frantic movement of her arm as she took in their annoyed and confused expressions. Her arm flopped to her side and she straightened up and took some deep, calming breaths.

It took her a good minute to calm down enough to be able to speak in complete sentences, though there was still an excited glimmer in her eyes and a wide smile on a face.

Suddenly remembering that she was still holding her bow in her left hand, she gently leant it against the wall beside her, and upon turning back towards her parents presented them with the poster.

"A Royal Messenger from Wistal Palace came into the village just now as I was walking back, and was hammering this to the noticeboard in the market square." She explained as they read the details of the poster (which Ren had yet to read herself), an element of breathlessness still in her voice.

Her mother's eyes widened the more she read, and when they had both finished reading her parents looked at her with expectant gazes.

Ren turned the poster round, finally reading the beautifully neat cursive on the now crumpled and slightly torn parchment as she said, "I… I was hoping to go try my luck."

The poster contained details of an exam taking place at Wistal Palace in just over a weeks' time, the purpose of which was to find a suitable applicant who would become the Court Blacksmiths apprentice. The snag was that only one person could be chosen, and with these posters being sent to every village, town and city in the country, all of which having at least one resident blacksmith, the odds of gaining the honoured position were slim.

"I think it's a wonderful idea."

Ren looked up to see a wide smile on her mother's face, her child like eyes gleaming with barley contained excitement as she clasped her hands in front of her. Ren's father had a much more reserved expression, but there was pleased gleam in his eye and the corners of his mouth were tilted upwards in a small smile.

Sayuri had halted her work in favour of turning around and listening more intently to the conversation, having heard Ren mention the Royal Messenger but not having seen the poster.

"You do?" asked Ren, surprised by their enthusiasm, "But what about you? Don't you want me to stay here and help out? Don't you want me to take over the family business?"

Ren's excitement and enthusiasm had quickly diminished when she'd realized just how slim a chance she had, and when she'd realized that her parents probably expected her to take on the forge and family business when they passed on or became too old to work. These doubtful thoughts were quickly extinguished from her mind however when her father quietly said:

"We never expected that from you, Ren. You are free to live your life as you choose, and we're just happy that you've decided to become a blacksmith on your own."

"We never expected you to stay in this small village all your life anyway," her mother added with a small chuckle, "And besides," she added slyly, glancing backwards, "we've got Sayuri to help us out when we get old and fragile."

Having being caught in the act of listening in on the family's conversation, Sayuri stuttered out a "Y-yeah, sure thing, Mrs Otsuka. What are apprentices for?" she finished with a slight wince.

"But," Ren said, gaining everyone's attention again, "the chance of me being chosen to be the _Court Blacksmiths_ Apprentice, is so unlikely-"

"It's worth that chance." Kaiya reasoned, coming forward to grasp her daughter's hands, which were still clutching the poster, in hers, "You'll only regret it if you don't try."

"I know I would've," said Sayuri, "one of the best decisions I ever made was moving to this village and hoping that the blacksmiths here would take me on."

Ren looked at all the encouraging faces of the people in the room, and with one last look at the poster in her hands she said with a smirk:

"It's worth a shot."

 _After all,_ she thought _, a chance like this only comes around once in a lifetime._

With her confidence renewed and any doubts about her parent's approval thrown out the window, she said excitedly,

"If I do get selected to become his apprentice, I'll write you a letter straight away, I promise. And if I don't… well… I'll send you a letter about my plans."

Her mother gripped her hands tighter, both women humming with energy as they grinned at each other. Then Reizo moved forwards, his large hand encasing his daughters shoulder as he stood by her side, her head now just about reaching his shoulders, and said:

"Don't you think you should go pack? You've got a long journey ahead of you."

"Right!" Ren exclaimed as she jumped a little, snapping out of her excited daze, "I better start packing so I can leave in the morning, otherwise I might not make it to the capital on time!"

As soon as her mother released her grip on her hands, Ren started to frantically move towards to door that lead to the family's home next to the forge, muttering to herself as she made a mental list of what she needed to pack. However, she only made it about halfway when she suddenly spun round, heading back towards her mother, who she paused before, handing her the two rabbits that she had caught that morning. Then, reaching around her so she could retrieve her bow, Ren kissed her mother and father on the cheek quickly before racing back towards the door.

Having disappeared from their sight, Sayuri turned back around to carry on with her work, Reizo and Kaiya chuckling at their daughter's antics; whilst a little saddened by the prospect of her leaving, they were proud that she was taking this chance to try and accomplish her dreams.

* * *

It was later that day, as the sun was beginning to vanish behind the pines and the oaks and the birches of the forest which surrounded the Eastern settlement, that Ren could be found wondering the village streets.

She had finished packing that afternoon, and despite the fact that she might not get the apprenticeship at the Palace, Ren knew that she would be away from her home for a long time.

Never before had she left the village or the forest that surrounded it. She'd never seen an expanse of water larger than the shallow, glistening streams which ran between the trees. She'd never been in a bustling city, never seen a castle.

As she walked through the empty streets in the dimming light, Ren remembered everyone she knew in the village, remembered everything that had happened here in her 18 years of life. She knew every nook and cranny of the place like the back of her hand, and whilst the village would always be dear to her heart for the experiences and memories it contained, Ren had always wanted more.

Because every time she looked up at the stars, which were now just beginning to appear in the sky, she was reminded that there was so much more out there. Yet, her loyalty to her family had prevented her from taking any action on those thoughts, and so she had stayed.

But this was her chance, and she would make sure it would not go to waste. She would absorb every new view, every new experience and every new interaction she had on this journey, because this was her chance for a new beginning, to go somewhere no one knew her and to start fresh.

As the last of the days light disappeared, Ren decided she would go for one last starlight run through the forest that was so dear to her.

As the stars shone above her, the crescent moons rays filtering through the boughs of the summer trees and illuminating her path, Ren ran through the forest, hopping over the silver streams and headed towards her favourite destination. It was during the night, when the moon and the stars shone, that Ren felt the most alive; everything just seemed so serene and peaceful, like there wasn't a care in the world. Everything on the Earth seemed good and right, most of the creatures upon its surface in a deep slumber, forgetting their worries for the time being as well.

And so Ren relished the night, and as she climbed the boughs of the ancient yew tree, the oldest one in the forest, with its rough bark biting her hands, she felt balanced and content.

Upon reaching its highest boughs she settled down, her back against an adjacent branch, legs swinging in the air on either side of the one she was sitting on, and she looked up at the stars. For this yew tree was the largest and tallest tree in the whole forest, and it was only from here that she could get an unobstructed view of the stars; she felt as though she could reach out and touch them.

The night was still, only the occasional owl hooting or bat flitting past, and everything was calm. As Ren looked up at the stars, and no matter how cheesy it sounded, she was reminded that wherever she went, they would always be there, unchanging. And that provided her with a sense of comfort, knowing that no matter where she went, there would always be this reminder, this part of home, with her.

 _Yeah,_ she thought, _I think I'm ready for my new beginning._

* * *

The next morning marked the start of her four day walk to Wistal; it would have been five, but a few miles down the road from her village, Ren bumped into a small party of travellers who were headed westwards. The man driving the wagon slowed the horse down to a trot beside her, politely asking where she was headed and if she needed a ride.

As they were willing to give her a ride for free and they all seemed like fairly friendly and decent people, she decided to join them for the day's journey after a moment of deliberation. However, they needed to part ways at a crossroads that evening, the wagon of people going off northwards towards the next town.

Ren made polite conversation with them as she sat in the bumpy wagon, sharing the journey with two women, a little girl and a young man, as well as the driver up front. She explained that she was heading to Wistal in the hopes of becoming the Court Blacksmiths apprentice, and in turn learnt that the group were performing travellers, going from town to town and performing feats of acrobatics, juggling, fire eating and a few magic tricks.

It was a pleasant day, and although the ride through the forest wasn't too comfortable, Ren enjoyed the travellers company and the humorous tales they told. But she eventually had to depart from them, and as she waved back at the little girl, she walked off to find somewhere to camp for the night.

As the sun was beginning to disappear she settled at the base of a large oak tree that was a little way off from the road, finding enough wood and tinder for a campfire and rolling out her bedding. She settled down for the night after a supper of some of the rabbit her mother had given her, one of the ones she had caught yesterday, freshly cooked, and some of the various nuts she always carried in a pouch on her belt.

And so her journey went. She walked through forests, some abundant with undergrowth that overflowed onto the path, others with nothing but a layer of dead pine needles beneath her feet. She walked by fields of wheat and corn, through colourful meadows and across grand, stone bridges; the first of which she stopped in the middle of, leaning on the edge and taking in the sight of the wide, slow waters beneath.

She walked through a few towns and villages, but did not stop as she was too excited to stay in one place for long; that and the fact she had little money with her, and would most likely need all of it for the duration of her stay in Wistal. And so she camped under the stars, eating the rabbit and the other small provisions she had.

By the third day however, she found she had eaten all of the rabbit and so had to hunt whilst on her journey. She had of course brought her bow and the rest of her archery equipment with her, including a small dagger; they were an extension of herself really, and she had also brought her bedroll, a few spare clothes and all the types of things people usually took with them whilst travelling.

However, Ren also had with her a sword, the best one she had ever made, hanging in a simple scabbard at her waist, as she was required to bring it with her to the exam, for what exact purpose she wasn't yet sure; to inspect her skill and craftsmanship, she supposed.

She crept through the undergrowth, being careful to tread lightly and make no sound. She was heading towards the sound of flapping wings and the loud calls of a partridge; it sounded as though there were two of the small, ground dwelling birds, mostly likely two males fighting for the right to mate with a female.

 _Good_ , Ren thought, _they'll be distracted._

She went as stealthily as a cat towards her prey, the thick undergrowth providing her with plenty of cover, and the green tones of her clothes aiding in her stealthy approach as she crawled forward in a low crouch.

Everything she knew about forests, hunting and archery had come from her father. At the age of 14 Reizo had given Ren her bow, and deciding that she needed to improve both her practical skills and her social skills, he took her with him to hunt in the forests with some of the other villagers. She soon began to come out of her shell, learning everything she could about the forest and how to hunt, becoming a young talent in the archery department. Reizo had shown her how to identify all of the plants that could be found in the forest, and what their properties where; if they were poisonous or edible, if they could be used as dye or to make a room smell sweet.

It was these skills which enabled her to travel lightly and make the most of her environment. She peered through a small gap between the leaves of the bush she was currently hiding in, and through it, in a very small clearing, she could see two partridges, their grey plumage ruffled as they battled. They were moving fast, but every now and then they would press their chests against each other, barely moving as they pushed against one another with all their might, fighting for dominance.

Ren quickly but quietly drew an arrow from her quiver, moving it down and nocking it to the taught bowstring. She had her three fingered archers glove on her right hand, and with her index finger above the arrow, her middle and ring fingers below it, she pulled the arrow back.

It silently slid back along the arrow rest as Ren's index finger came to rest at the corner of her mouth. Still in her crouched position, she looked through the gap in the leaves and selected her target, the bird on the right.

She waited for just the right moment, the bows limbs curving backwards as she held her position, the strong muscles in her shoulders allowing her to hold the bow steady until…

 _Now!_

The arrow flew towards its target, straight through the gap in the leaves, Ren's fingers hardly having moved an inch as she stayed completely still, waiting to hear that all important thud.

It came a moment later, accompanied by the startled calls of the other partridge as it fled the scene into the surrounding undergrowth.

Ren stood up, thankful that she could now stretch her legs, and walked over to claim her supper. Her arrow had flown true, piercing the partridge in the heart, the plumage around the arrow now dabbled with crimson blood. It had been a quick and painless death, just as she had intended.

That evening she tucked into a rather blackened portion of the birds meat. Rens skills in the cooking department where rather lacking, and she tended to cremate everything she made; though that did mean she was used to the taste of it, having been made to eat everything she burnt, courtesy of her mother. It was also a good way of preserving the food, not that you could really call it food after _she_ was done with it…

It was in the late morning of the fourth day of travel that Ren emerged from the trees. She stopped in awe as she took in the sight before her.

Just a few miles away was the largest city she had ever seen (not that she had seen many), with what seemed to be hundreds of white walled structures with red, terracotta roofs, all clustered around a beautiful blue, glistening harbour. And there, on the hill above the town, were the magnificent, white stone walls of Wistal Palace.

Ren's heart felt like it could burst out of her chest at any moment, so full of excitement and awe and curiosity as it was.

She broke into a sprint, racing down the road and into the capital, still running through those first few streets as she turned her head in every direction, taking in all the sights and the smells and the-

Sounds… There wasn't a sound to be heard, apart from the odd breeze from the harbour causing a shops sign to swing and squeak on its hinges.

Ren had slowed to an amble, looking around, searching for any signs of life. She walked through alleys, market squares, shopping districts and residential areas, but still she could find no living person, and so quickened her pace. This certainly wasn't the image of a bustling city that Ren had so often imagined.

She eventually came to an inn on the northern side of the city, closer to the castle, and the sign hanging from the wall read _'The Anchor Inn and Alehouse'_. She decided to try her luck there, both needing somewhere to stay and a sign that there were living beings in the city; she was becoming a little bit disconcerted by the eerie silence.

Thankfully, when she opened the door to the alehouse she saw a man with greying hair and a salt and pepper beard, probably in his early fifties, standing behind the bar, cleaning out a pint glass with a white cloth.

She breathed a small sigh of relief, and walking over to the bar she asked, "Excuse me, but do you have any rooms I could stay in for the next four nights?"

The barman looked up from his work, smiling at his new patron as he said "Of course! Though, excuse my asking, but do you have the right amount of money?" he added a little hesitantly.

Ren had reached the bar, and providing him with the fee required he apologetically provided her with the key to her room on the first floor, saying:

"You've arrived just in time for Open Castle Day in fact. Almost everyone in the city has gone up to join in the festivities and get a good look at the castle."

"So that's why there wasn't anybody around…" Ren muttered to herself, thankful for the explanation behind the emptiness of the city.

"It is indeed!" the barman said, answering her anyway, "I made the decision to stay here and look after the bar so that my wife and daughter could go up." But at Ren's slightly quizzical look, he nonchalantly added, "I've been up there plenty a times before, I don't mind missing out."

"I think I'll head up there then." Ren said, excited by the prospect of seeing the castle up close before her exam.

"Enjoy!" the barman called as he went back to cleaning his glass and as Ren went over to the staircase that was on the other side of the room.

Ren entered the room that she would be staying in for the next few days; it was quite small and plain, nothing extraordinary, but it was all she needed. There was a single bed at the far end of the room with simple, off white sheets, and parallel to it was a small window overlooking the bright, sunny street below. A door led to a small bathroom with a toilet and a sink on one side, and there was also a small dresser against the opposite wall with a vase of vibrant, sweet smelling flowers sitting on top, a small, rectangular mirror hanging above it.

Ren dumped her luggage on the floor by her bed, shoving the room key into one of the many pouches adorning her belt and placed her bow and arrows on the floor gently, her sword and dagger joining them soon after.

She took in her appearance in the mirror above the dresser, letting her hair down from its ponytail and undoing one of the three small plaits that had run into it. Now with two small plaits instead of three, one on either side, she tied them together at the back of her head with her emerald ribbon, in order to keep her loose, frizzy locks out of her face.

She'd had the fortune of coming across a spring on her third day of travel, so her hair wasn't too dirty or greasy and looked presentable. She also wore her pair of silver earrings, the only pair she owned, which were from her father. They took the appearance of two small, silver arrows.

She looked down at her clothes, dusting them off and making sure there wasn't any dirt on them. She wore her usual attire of a knee length, olive green cloak with a large hood, which at this time was down, a long, cream undershirt with wide, open sleeves that came down to just above her elbows, over which she wore a rich green waistcoat with delicate, gold embroidery details of leaves and vines, which were stitched along the edges, small brass buttons running down the centre; it was a gift from her grandmother for her sixteenth birthday and she had since passed away. A wide leather belt hung diagonally across her hips, a multitude of pouches and bags adorning it, which contained everything from nuts and berries, to basic medical supplies, to money, to simple archery equipment. On her legs she wore simple black trousers tucked into her worn, leather boots which reached mid-calf, the tops of them folded over to create a wide band, the bottom of the supple leather caked in mud. On her forearms she wore two dark brown, leather arm guards, laced together in a tight criss-cross pattern on her inner arm.

Finally, she looked at her nails as she took out the key to the room, frowning slightly at the fact that they were always short and brittle, full of dirt and grime from working in the forge and hunting. It was these activities which had also left her hands with a multitude of small scars and scratches dotted about, the remnants of old burns and cuts. But there was nothing she could really do about that, and so wasn't too bothered by it.

Checking that she had enough money with her for food and whatever else might be up there, as the cost for the room had not been all that expensive, Ren set off for the castle at the top of the hill.

* * *

 **A/N: Future chapters will likely be this length or longer, and the next chapter will be based around episode 12 of the first season of the anime. I have started reading the manga, but for this part the plot of the anime just worked better. Thank you very much to the person who reviewed! It makes me very happy to hear you liked it, sorry that this chapter is longer but it is what i had originally planned. Hope you've enjoyed this chapter and there will be appearances from canon characters in the next one! So whether you've enjoyed this or not...**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**

 **-Limegreenarcher**


	3. Chapter 3: Open Castle Day

**A/N: There are two songs which inspired me whilst writing this chapter, feel free to listen to them as you read:  
1) Senbonzakura - By Lindsey Stirling, indicated by the *. I don't think the writing fits the whole song, but do listen to all of it at some point because I think its a beautiful piece.  
2) Kingdom Dance - from Tangled, indicated by the **. This one may need to be repeated to fit the length of the writing.  
You don't not have to listen but I think it would create a better image overall. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

The first thing Ren noticed when she got to the castle?

The sheer amount of people there; the barman wasn't exaggerating when he said almost the whole city had come to the event.

She wondered between the colourful stalls that lined both sides of the wide stone pathway, vibrant bunting and patterned cloth hanging between the two tall walls on either side, creating a vivid canopy which cut across the clear blue sky.

There were stalls selling all kinds of foods, ornaments, jewellery, flowers and liquor, the vendors calling out to the passing crowds as they advertised their goods.

The atmosphere was so bright and joyful, people chatting away with old friends, children running about in their excitement to see everything all at once (not that Ren could blame them, she practically felt the same way), the midday sun beating down upon it all and the enticing smells of food filling the air, Ren couldn't help but smile and soak it all in, all but forgetting about her nerves for the upcoming exam in two days' time.

She weaved through the crowds, relishing the anonymity of being surrounded by so many people; this had never been possible in her village, it being so small everyone had known everyone.

Up ahead she spotted two entertainers who towered above everyone else. They both wore oversized outfits, the woman in a red and white striped dress and the man in a red and yellow suit, used to hide the wooden stilts strapped to their feet. They both wore clown-like red and white makeup on their faces with large red noses, and large hats adorned their heads.

Overall it was a very humorous appearance, and judging by the laughs from the surrounding crowd, so was their performance.

Ren made her way over, threading through the crowd to try and get a closer look at the odd performers. She ended up pretty close to them, and was standing near a tall young man with blue hair.

Ren chuckled a few times at the silly performance, the man trying and failing to impress the woman with a flower until he eventually did succeed. Ren clapped along with the rest of the crowd as the performance finished, colourful confetti seemingly appearing from nowhere.

Still in a state of wonder and awe since the moment she'd set eyes upon the castle, she looked to her right, still applauding and soaking up the atmosphere of the crowd. She saw the young man next to her rest his hand on top of a significantly shorter woman's head, the blonde woman next to them smiling gently. She realised that the three must have known each other, but she looked curiously at the short girl in the middle.

She wore a cream hood over her head, a matching shawl covering her shoulders, and as Ren peered into it she saw that the young woman had short red hair as bright as an apple.

 _Wow,_ Ren thought, _your hair is so beautiful._

Only, Ren hadn't just thought that, she'd actually said it. Aloud. Whilst still looking at the young woman in question.

Upon seeing the red locks Ren had stopped clapping, her hands slowly coming down to her sides as she unwittingly released her awed statement. Not only that but luck was clearly not on her side today, as unfortunately for her the whole trio had heard her statement, having already finished the conversation they were previously engaged in.

The small group all turned to face her, expressions of slight shock and - was that a hint of wariness? - Upon their faces. It didn't take Ren long to realise her lapse in concentration and respect after that, and she immediately froze, her very bones stiffening and locking in place as her eyes widened.

 _Shit._

An awkward silence dragged on for a few minutes as they all stared at each other, but finally Ren snapped herself out of her shock, her hands suddenly gesturing wildly as tried to explain herself to them.

"I-I didn't mean to say that aloud! I'm so sorry th-that was so disrespectful of me, I mean, I don't even know you and I j-just said that your hair was b-beautiful- not that it isn't! It's an absolutely stunning colour and I'm sure people compliment you all the time on it… Which is probably why you had your hood up to try and avoid that attention, but I managed to interrupt your day anyway… God I'm such an idiot."

Ren had progressively gotten less frantic in her gestures as she went on, her hands eventually dropping to her sides and her shoulders slumping as she finished, her voice also slowing and lowering back down to its usual pitch as she muttered to herself about 'first impressions in Wistal'.

In her frantic and embarrassed state she had also drawn the attention of two young men, who were standing a little further back from the group, one in a guard's uniform with a few tufts of stark white hair peeking out from underneath his hat, and the other with a mop of black hair and brown, loose fitting clothes.

The two men watched as no one said anything after the girl's outburst, as they were quite unsure of what to say, and as the silence dragged on the girl began to stiffen again, holding her breath until she could take it no more.

No longer willing to wait for a reply Ren span on her heel, squeaking out one last "Sorry!" as she sped away, disappearing into the crowd and leaving behind some very confused, yet now largely unconcerned, people.

The young man with the mop of black hair watched as she sped away, his cat like eyes narrowing in slight suspicion; he would investigate further, just in case, but for now he would enjoy the festival with the others.

The one thing all of them had noticed though, when that strange young woman had fled in her embarrassment, was that the ends of her hair where a rich shade of forest green, and that even despite this unique feature, she had still managed to vanish into the crowd within seconds.

* * *

Ren didn't know how long she had been running for, but what she did know was that she was quite out of breath and thoroughly embarrassed.

 _Great,_ she thought, a little irritated at herself, _the first people I meet my age and I go randomly complimenting them, which is completely rude and disrespectful when she clearly didn't_ want _anyone to compliment her!_

She sighed as she continued to walk, head down and a few stalls still on either side of her. She hoped the young woman and her friends weren't angry at her, and even though it was unlikely that she would ever see them again, Ren still didn't like the fact that she had been so disrespectful, saying something like that completely out of the blue to a stranger, even if it was a compliment.

She looked up to see a fruit stall next to her, and her vision immediately tunnelled to the basket of fresh, juicy plums on top of the counter. The dark purple fruit were her weakness, and she quickly purchased a large bag of them, paying the vendor and fishing out a juicy morsel.

Her mood improved significantly as she bit into the purple skin, savouring the taste of the sweet, golden flesh inside. She carried on wondering the grounds as she ate her plums, and she soon began to notice that everyone was heading in the same direction; thinking that it must be something important, she decided to follow them.

Ren found herself as part of a large crowd as she finished her plum, standing in front of two enormous buildings that were connected by a wall half their height, which still towered over the crowd below. There was a large, elegant blue door in this wall, but the crowd's attention was on the battlements on top.

For there stood the two Princes of Clarines; First Prince Izana and Second Prince Zen, standing a little ways apart.

From this distance, Ren couldn't make out much but the dark blue robes and bleached blond hair of the prince on the left, and the white and blue robes of the white haired prince on the right, who was waving to the crowd below. She was able to identify the prince on the left as Izana and the prince on the right as Zen, as she had heard a few descriptions of Clarines' royalty back in her village (granted they were from the two gossips, but unfortunately they had been her best sources for information more often than not).

The crowd were ecstatic, cheering their praises for the two princes and waving at them enthusiastically as pink and pastel yellow petals rained down from the sky.

 _Where are these petals even coming from?_ Ren thought, seeing no explanation for the copious amounts that continued to fall.

However, she decided to dismiss that train of thought, instead gazing up at the two princes, feeling a surge of pride at the thought that she could soon be working in their court; forgetting the remnants of her embarrassment from her previous encounter for now, and finally relaxing again.

*It wasn't long after the Princes had returned inside and Ren had resumed her wanderings of the castle, that she heard some music. It was a fast, joyful tune played on a violin, and Ren found herself drawn to it.

She followed the sound until she found herself in a medium sized stone courtyard, a few marble benches dotted around the edges and open corridors with wide, supporting pillars surrounding the area.

But it was what was in this courtyard, or rather who, which drew Ren's attention, as well as the attention of the small crowd of people who lined the outer edges of it, all clapping in time to the violinist who stood off to one side.

There was a troupe of young dancers, all in either their late teens or early twenties, and the young men and women spun around their partners in a colourful blur of reds, greens, blues and yellows. The women's skirts flew about their legs, flying upwards as they spun and as they were lifted by their partners, the fast momentum never ceasing for a moment.

The quick pace of the violin and the troupes dance was infectious, and Ren soon found herself clapping along, having found a gap at the front of the small crowd and placing her bag of plums on a bench nearby, a smile forming on her face at the sheer energy being exuberated from the dancers. And even though she thought it looked fun, she much preferred to just watch the professionals; she'd only ever danced at the village fêtes before, and even that had only been with a few friends, nothing serious.

A collective shout of "Hey!" came from the dancers as they jumped and spun 180 degrees, swapping partners as they landed and continued on their dizzying journey.

This seemingly chaotic routine continued, the dancers all managing to weave around each other as they spun and spun and spun. There were no collisions, and surprisingly none of them seemed to be affected by the endless turns. Alternate couples whirled into the centre of the circle the troop had formed, whilst the others span outwards. A young man suddenly appeared in front of Ren, quickly dipping the small, bouncy blonde in his arms, who toothily grinned at Ren from her upside down position before she was whisked away again.

Ren paused in her clapping for a moment, shocked by the pair's sudden appearance, but by that time they had already gone, so she simply giggled at herself and continued her clapping.

She watched as they continued to leap and bound, and at one point all of the women were thrown high into the air by their partners, their arms and legs always remaining elegant as they were caught bridal style by a different partner, the men having rotated whilst they were in the air, spinning of course whilst they did it.

Finally the dance came to an end, the song having increased to such a pace that the violinist himself was out of breath, a light sweat forming on his brow.

The dancers had all ended in a circle, one hand holding their partners as they stretched their arms in a gentle curve upwards, one leg crossed behind the other, only their toes touching the ground as they faced the crowd surrounding them, their breaths heavy but large grins on their faces none the less. Ren was sure she could see a gleam in their eyes, their energy apparently endless.

Ren watched as the dancers caught their breath, amicably chatting to each other as two more musicians joined the violinist, preparing to start the next piece.

Ren decided to stay, curious to see what they would do next and in no rush, as it was still a little while till the acting troupe performed; she'd heard a group talking about it earlier as she'd passed by.

As she stood waiting she noticed the dancers going off to talk to people in the crowd, most of those people then going to join the dancers that remained in the middle of the courtyard.

The short, bouncy blond woman from earlier skipped over to Ren, her sunflower yellow dress gently swishing around her calves as she did so. She stopped before Ren, and despite looking much older than her she bounced on her toes, hands clasped in front of her, and said in a bright, bubbly tone:

"Wanna dance with us?"

Ren blinked, unsure of how to reply to the young woman and wondering if she'd heard her correctly.

Touch was something Ren reserved for her friends and loved ones, a handshake being the most she would offer a stranger, and it was very special to her; it was one of the largest ways she conveyed affection, passion and comfort. But dancing seemed to be a very…..physical activity, and she didn't know any of the people here.

"No thank you," Ren replied, "I'm fine just watching from here."

"Aw, come on! I saw you whilst we were dancing before, you were just itching to come join us!"

Ren wasn't exactly sure how the woman had had enough time to register her expression at the speed she had been moving at, but replied with a small chuckle:

"Unless you all want your feet stepped on I'd recommend you find someone else." This wasn't exactly true, as even though Ren had to admit she wasn't one of the best dancers, she'd never actually stepped on anyone's feet – not yet, anyway.

"But this is the Open Castle Day dance! Anyone can do it!" the blonde insisted.

Ren scoffed slightly, "I don't see how this dance could be any different from all the other dances."

The young woman's eyes flashed with something Ren couldn't quite identify; as though she'd suddenly had an idea.

Yet before she could say anything, the young brunette she'd been dancing with before came over, leaning an arm on her shoulder; he was the same height as Ren, so the blonde was a perfect armrest for him.

"Because we only ever dance it on Open Castle Day, which is only every few years." The young man said; he was wearing a deep marine tunic, which complemented the blondes dress and hair.

"Exactly!" the blonde said, glad for the support but still jabbing him in the side for the interruption, "There's no feeling quite like dancing in the castle, I can promise you that!"

**Ren gazed at the expectant and joyful faces of the pair in front of her, her arms crossed as more people from the crowd joined the other dancers. The only thing stopping Ren was her stubbornness; she couldn't just give up on her ideals like that!

 _Although, I did say I'd try every new experience I can get my hands on, and it's not like this dance is considered intimate or affectionate…everyone just does it on a friendly basis…_

Seeing that her plan was working and that Ren was beginning to crack, the blonde added:

"Who knows when you'll get this chance again?"

Ren's curiosity won, and pushing away her inhibitions for now she grumbled, "Fine…"

The pair's faces lit up and the blonde, seeing that she had won Ren over, clapped her hands together excitedly. She then turned on her heel and ran to the centre of the courtyard, taking up her position with the rest of the dancers, but not before she called over her shoulder, "I'm Kana by the way!"

"Ren!" the blacksmith called back, "And you better be right about this!"

"We are!" she laughed as arrived at the group of dancers.

"I'm Shino," the brunette said, shaking Ren's hand, "Now come on, the dance is about to start!"

Shino also ran towards the centre, and Ren had no choice but to follow, amazed at the dancers never ending energy once again.

Once she arrived, she found that she was standing opposite Shino, at the end of a line of partners who also stood facing each other. She saw the trio of musicians preparing to start, the violinist from before and two men playing a lute and a flute. She could also see the grinning face of Kana, who gave her a small, excited wave as she bounced on her toes further down the line.

"Wait!" Ren said to Shino, "I don't know this dance!"

"You saw the one we did before right?" Ren nodded a little anxiously, "Well it's a more basic version of that."

"But-"

"Don't worry about it! Just follow everyone else's lead and relax! You'll get into the swing of it!"

Before Ren could protest anymore, the music started, and she had no choice but to follow everybody else's lead as they skipped into the middle to join hands with their partner.

The line of linked hands created a tunnel of arches, the pair at the opposite end skipping through, before the new couple at the end then did the same.

Ren was soon caught up in the flute led music, the energy even more infectious than before now that she was a part of it, and she forgot her rules on physical contact, just this once; she would allow for a few exceptions, especially when those exceptions made her feel this much joy and her heart beat faster.

Suddenly everyone was in a circle, facing inwards, and they were all clapping their hands above their heads in unison; Ren included. The remaining crowd clapped their hands, continuing the beat as everyone paired off, arms linking with their partners as they faced each other and spun around.

Ren registered that she was spinning with Shino, her loose hair and cloak flying around her, but he only gave her a wide grin as if to say, _I told you so_ , before they swapped partners, this time going into a more traditional hold, one hand on your partners shoulder and your other hand clasping theirs.

Once again they were always spinning, but luckily for Ren her good sense of balance prevented her from getting too dizzy.

But that didn't prevent her from getting lost in the whirling colours of all the people around her, and she was exhilarated by how everyone was somehow aware of everybody else; the dance and the music filled her with passion, and in that very moment it was all that mattered to her.

They leapt into the air, no partners to catch them, and Ren felt as though she could fly, such was the feeling of freedom she experienced as she spun 360 degrees, her arms above her head and her leg slightly bent, landing softly on the balls of her feet.

She found herself spinning to her next partner, a 10 year old girl whose long black hair was in two plaits, and Ren gripped her hands as they spun together, laughing as they did so; at nothing but the feeling of pure joy they both felt.

She finally ended up whirling with Kana, their arms linked as they spun into the centre of the circle, the couples next to them spinning towards the outside of the circle.

"So?" laughed Kana, "Was I right?"

"You were definitely right!" Ren laughed back, a little breathless, "This is amazing!"

They completed their final spin, everyone ending up facing the crowd in a large circle; the same final position as the previous dance the troupe had performed.

Ren was grateful for the firm grasp that Kana had on her left hand, otherwise she might have immediately collapsed; whether from exhaustion or from the sudden stillness after so much movement and spinning, she wasn't sure.

But what Ren did know was that she had had the time of her life; she couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed this much, especially around complete strangers.

"So, you gonna stick around?" Kana asked, the dancers all finally relaxing from their positions, some even collapsing into a heap on the ground; most likely the members of the crowd who had joined the troupe.

"Yeah," Shino said as he came over to the two girls, "We've got plenty more dances where that came from. Up for the challenge?"

"I'd really love to, and I've had such a great time. But," Ren said, a little disappointedly, "I want to go catch the play and I should probably start heading over there now."

"Damn, that's a shame," Shino said, Kana nodding solemnly in agreement, "But I hope you enjoy the play!"

"Hey, come to think of it…" Kana said, her finger tapping her chin as she looked up thoughtfully, "Isn't there a play that's supposed to start right about now? You know, the one about a princess and a knight and a prince?"

Ren's eyes had widened slightly at this, exclaiming before Shino could reply, "That's the play I'm going to see! You mean to tell me it's about to start already?!"

"Yeah." Kana said simply.

"Well, could you point me in the direction of it please?!" Ren asked a little frantically.

"Sure, it's just through there," Kana said, pointing to an opening on their right, "Just keep following the path and you'll find the right place."

"Thank you!" Ren said, already heading in that direction and grabbing her bag of plums as she raced by. "And thank you so much for the dance!" she added, looking back to see the pair waving at her retreating figure.

"It was our pleasure!" They both called back, laughing as she turned the corner, disappearing from their sight.

Soon they were dancing again, getting lost in the rhythms and pulling in more people from the crowds, the afternoon sun continuing to shine down on the courtyard.

* * *

Ren soon arrived at the performance, her hands on her knees as she stood at the top of the stone steps which formed the seating for the play. She stood between two large pillars as she caught her breath, but fortunately for her the play had started just as she had arrived.

Relieved she let out a large sigh and took a seat at the end of the top row, not wanting to disturb anyone and the empty space being the closest one to her.

The raised stage was beautiful, framed by white columns and with a delicately painted backdrop of a night sky and a castle, surrounded by a dark forest. It was a much more upmarket version than any of the ones Ren had seen before, but that was to be expected as she was in the palace grounds.

This was one of Ren's favourite plays, and she knew it word for word; every time some travelling performers had come through her village, this was the one they would perform, and Ren had adored it ever since she was a little girl.

Ren was sitting back, enjoying yet another plum, when she noticed a change in the actor's lines.

She looked up, only to see that there was a completely different actress on stage; this one was wearing a light pink dress and headdress, whereas the previous one had worn a yellow dress, her light brown hair mostly uncovered.

The change in actresses made sense, as Ren had noticed the first one trip and limp off stage earlier on, so the one in pink was likely a substitute.

However, the change in lines did not make sense, and so Ren leaned forward, looking closer at the new actress.

Her eyes narrowed, but quickly widened again when she saw the familiar locks of bright red hair, just peeking out of the actresses headdress.

 _Oh,_ Ren thought, _I guess she must be an actress then. She does look a little nervous though… maybe this is her first time on stage?_

Yet something still wasn't right. The actor who played the Prince was now reaching towards the girls headdress, as though he was about to take it off, and judging from her expression and the fact she had been covering her hair earlier, Ren knew that this wasn't scripted.

Her eyes narrowed and her shoulders tensed at the thought that this man was about to reveal the poor girls hair against her will, but she needn't have worried, for just then the actor playing the Knight appeared out of nowhere.

Ren was surprised to see the actor falling from the rafters, separating the two before pulling the Princess to his side and pointing his sword at the Prince.

She was even more surprised to see that this was yet another change in actors, this man having mop of pure white hair atop his head, especially since it had seemed like there was nothing wrong with the previous actor.

Ren was drawn out of her puzzled musings by the cheers of the rest of the audience, the actress now having left the stage and the two men commencing their duel.

It was quite humorous really, as the new actor appeared to be a skilled swordsman, the Prince stumbling about on stage. As no one else seemed to notice the difference in actors or lines, Ren decided that it wasn't really an issue, seeing as the red-haired young woman had been saved from revealing her bright locks; besides, Ren was quite enjoying these new lines and actors now, laughing as the Prince failed to keep up with the white haired Knight.

* * *

Ren wondered through the crowds, walking underneath a brightly lit bridge which cut across the long courtyard. Night had now settled, the sky a deep blue sea dotted with stars, and Ren stopped as she reached the other side of the bridge.

She had been searching for a lantern, but her stubbornness and pride had prevented her from asking for help and now it was too late; everyone else had one of the egg shaped paper lanterns, four colourful ribbons hanging from the bottom, and the delicate paper decorated with simple patterns.

Ren sighed as she resigned herself to just watching the final event of the day, happy to just watch what was likely to be a beautiful sight.

A few of the lanterns were already being released, floating up into the sky, but before Ren could follow their journey a soft voice next to her said:

"My dear, do you not have a lantern?"

Ren looked to her left to see a middle-aged woman standing next to her, a little boy standing on her toes, his back leaning against her legs, both holding a lantern in their hands.

"Oh, no, I left it too late to get one and I didn't know where they were, as this is my first time here." Ren explained to her, a little embarrassed.

"Then you can have mine, dear." The woman said, offering her lantern to Ren.

"Oh! You don't need to that, really! I wouldn't want to be a bother!" Ren said, frantically waving her hands in front of her.

"But I insist! It wouldn't be right for you not to have the full experience on your first Open Castle Day!"

"No, no, I'm fine just watching!" Ren's embarrassment only rising, as well as her voice as she insisted, "It's my own fault really, I should have asked someone sooner! There's no need for you to give me your lantern, and I wouldn't want to intrude."

"You are not intruding my dear, and besides," she said, patting the small boy on the head, "I can just share with Hitoshi, right sweetie?"

The small boy nodded his head shyly, looking up at Ren through the long strands of hair which covered his eyes. The mother smiled at Ren, once again offering her the lantern.

With a small sigh of, "If it's not too much trouble then…" Ren gingerly took the lantern from the woman's hands, muttering a quick thank you before looking down on it thoughtfully and as most of the other lanterns around her were released into the sky.

Unbeknownst to her, Ren's embarrassed exchange with the woman and her son had drawn the attention of the group standing on the bridge above.

Obi had been the first to notice, hearing her distressed voice as his back leant against the side of the bridge. He looked over his shoulder, down into the crowd below, and recognised the frantic hand gestures, cloak and green dipped hair.

"Hey," he said to the others, still looking below, "Look whose here."

They all looked down to where Obi was gazing, and spotted the strange girl from earlier who had complimented Shirayuki's hair, and who was now reluctantly accepting a lantern from a smiling woman and her son.

"Huh," Mitsuhide said, "I guess she has talent for getting embarrassed and causing a commotion."

They all chuckled at that, remembering her huge embarrassment over something so small, and her confusing, agitated reaction afterwards.

The group looked back at the sea of lanterns floating by, but Obi looked at the girl for a few more moments; he would still investigate, for the sake of the Miss and his Master, despite the fact that she looked pretty harmless. But looks could be deceiving, and he knew it wouldn't be too hard to track down someone with forest green dipped hair.

Ren was looking at the lantern in her hands, and she heard the kind woman who had given it to her say to her son:

"Now don't forget to make a wish before you let it go, Hitoshi."

Ren stared at the delicate paper in her hands, the amber flame glowing inside.

 _A wish._

She could wish to become the Court Blacksmiths Apprentice. Wish to win the examination in two days' time. She could wish for all the money in Clarines so her parents would never have to worry again. She could wish for the means to freely travel the world, nothing to tie her down or stop her.

She could wish for anything, but as the lanterns floated into the inky sky above, she could only think of one wish, one thing that she truly desired.

She thought back on her first day in Wistal, thought of the kindness, generosity and joy shown to her by so many people; the barman, Kana and Shino, the woman and her son, Hitoshi.

No, there was only one thing she could possibly wish for as she closed her eyes, gripping the lantern tighter.

 _I wish to stay in Wistal. To stay in the capital, no matter the outcome of the exam. To stay with these people._

She finally released her lantern, pushing it up into the sky as she opened her eyes, watching its journey as it struggled to catch up with the others, the lanterns soon becoming nothing but glowing dots in the vast night sky, their wishes being swallowed by the stars.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you so much to the people who have favourite and followed my story, it means so much to me to see you enjoy it, you made a shitty day better. Although if you don't leave reviews I don't know whether I'm doing anything right or if I'm doing anything wrong. Like if I use to many commas or if my dialogue is any good... So... wink wink nudge nudge, PLEASE REVIEW!  
** **-Limegreenarcher**


	4. Chapter 4: The Anchor Inn and Alehouse

The midday sun filtered through the thin curtains that covered the inn window, the room being much brighter than Ren would have liked. The light assaulted her eyelids as she threw an arm over them, hoping to block out the harsh wake up call, but the sounds of the bustling city below mingled with the sounds of her tired groans as she resigned herself to the inevitability of having to get up.

That's not to say she had any intention of doing so very quickly. As she lay in bed, it crossed her mind that it was rather odd her mother hadn't come in to wake her up yet, and judging by the amount of light in the room it was well past dawn; the time Ren was usually dragged out of bed to help heat the coals in the forge.

Curious and slightly suspicious, she raised her arm and opened one eye. Only, she wasn't in her bed. Nor was she in her home. Or any place her sleep addled mind could recognise for that matter.

Her eyes widened in panic, heart thumping in her chest and muscles tensing as she tried to recall what had happened the previous night… she would have to had drunk an _awful_ lot to have no memory of how she got here…

 _At least there's no one in bed with me…_ She thought with a sigh of relief, frantically patting the space next to her, just to be sure.

She'd probably murder the unfortunate soul and then slap herself repeatedly for being so stupid; getting blindingly drunk and doing something regrettable wasn't exactly on her repertoire.

Finally, her brain caught up with the rest of her senses and she recognised that she was in _'The Anchor Inn and Alehouse'_ in Wistal, having been to the Open Castle Day yesterday and her examination for Apprentice Court Blacksmith happening tomorrow at the palace.

Feeling a little stupid at her own panicked reaction, Ren's arm flopped back down over her closed eyes, wanting to rest a little longer and enjoy this rare opportunity to sleep the day away.

Unfortunately her stomach didn't agree, judging by the rumbling sounds it made, which matched the sounds of a heavy cart passing over the cobblestones below. It was very loud. And persistent.

So Ren flopped out of bed, the sheets that were once tangled in her splayed limbs now dragging along the floor, and she stumbled over to the bathroom, not even pausing to register the birds' nest that was her hair every morning.

She soon found herself down at the bar, relatively presentable with her cloak wrapped around her and hair loose (apart from the two braids joining at the back, she never took those out when in others company). There was a woman behind the bar who looked to be around the same age as the barman she'd met yesterday, and judging by the ring on her left hand Ren guessed she was married to him.

"Excuse me," Ren asked, "But could you tell me where I could get some food?"

"Well the bakery just down the road has all sorts, sweet and savoury, so I'm sure you'll find something to your liking there." The woman replied after a little thought. She had a quiet voice, especially when compared to the barman's yesterday, but it still held an indisputable authority.

"Do they have any sourdough?" Ren asked, tilting her head a little.

"Yes. Though if you're not too desperate you could always wait a while for the next batch. There's nothing better than a warm loaf of bread to start off your day, I find."

Ren nodded in agreement, saying that she would stay down here and wait as she took a seat at the bar.

She chatted idly with the barkeep, and learnt that she was indeed the barman's wife and that they owned the inn, managing it along with their daughter, Erisa, who was around Ren's age.

The woman was very plump and could probably be quite imposing if she wanted to be, which would be useful for dealing with rowdy patrons, and she had a few white streaks in her black hair, running into the loose bun at the back of her head.

The bar was very quiet this time of day, it being early afternoon, but there were a few people scattered about, nursing a tankard as sunlight filtered through the latticed windows, illuminating the dust motes which hung in the air. Despite this there was still a pleasant atmosphere in the bar, and likely would be whatever the time of day was, created by the warm tones of the wood and stone which made up the interior.

The woman was cleaning the surface of the bar when she inquired as to why Ren was staying in Wistal, and at her reply there came a deep, derisive chuckle from the man sitting at one of the tables behind her, followed by:

"A _girl_? A _blacksmith_? My my my, you sure have deluded yourself little girl. Why don't you run back home and sit pretty like a good little darling, you've no hope of succeeding in a _man's_ profession, let alone at the castle!" He finished with a vulgar cackle, squinting at Ren's back as he leant over his half-finished beer.

But Ren would not give him the satisfaction of retaliation, nor would she even turn to acknowledge the man; the greasy lowlife wasn't worth her time, and she would soon prove him wrong anyway… not that it would change a man like that, because even if a woman ruled over Clarines _alone,_ he would probably still dismiss her.

So Ren sat still, and only the barkeep could see her fists clenching on the bar in front of her, her jaw ever so slightly tensing, and only her eyes glancing to the side in his vague direction.

"Need I remind you that you should be at work right now, Kanbe?" The older woman said, eyes narrowing at the man and even more authority slipping into her voice, still as quiet as before.

The man, Kanbe, simply grunted dismissively, saying "Yeah, yeah…" as he turned away from the women, tossing a coin on the table as he left the alehouse.

Ren sighed, relaxing slightly now that he had left; she probably would've punched the guy, but she didn't want that kind of reputation here, seeing as this was her new beginning and all.

"Thank you… err…" Ren murmured, blushing slightly when she realised she hadn't exchanged names with the woman behind the bar.

"Maya." She said, pausing in her cleaning once again as she offered her hand.

"Ren." They shook.

"And don't worry about it Ren, that man always causes trouble. It's a miracle he listens to me as it is." Maya said, eyeing the door distastefully, as though he was still standing there.

Before Ren could reply, a clock chimed behind the bar and Maya said, as though completely forgetting about the incident, "Ah, if you leave now you should be first in line for those fresh sourdough loaves."

"Oh, right. Thank you very much… Maya." Ren said, having almost forgotten about her meal and feeling more than a little awkward calling the older woman by her first name; it just didn't seem very respectful to Ren, but it was the only name the woman had given her, so she supposed it must be alright…

The sun was still high in the sky when Ren emerged from the bakery, sourdough loaf in hand; another one of her weaknesses, anything sour. She pulled small chunks off the loaf, tossing them into her mouth as she pondered what she would do for the rest of the afternoon. She would eat what was left of the loaf with the last pieces of partridge she had saved when she got back to her room, but after that… she supposed she would have to study for the examination tomorrow.

But what was the point? She didn't have a clue what the test would be! Sure she could make a few guesses, but what if she studied for nothing?!

A sigh escaped her lips, yet memories from the previous afternoon came flooding back to her; her joy, the people, her pride at the thought of working in the princes court and finally, her wish.

 _I can't rely on a wish! I have to work hard at this, be prepared for anything if I want to stay in Wistal!_ She thought, adding with distaste, _And if I'm going to prove certain people wrong, I_ have _to study hard._

And so, she spent the rest of the afternoon going over everything she knew about blacksmithing in her room at the inn; she even went over how to make nails, just in case. She studied her sword, committing every detail to memory and going over and over the steps she took to create it; it was a perfectly balanced, light weight blade, which could cut through wood like butter (though she'd only ever done that once, as she didn't want to keep damaging the blade every time she did it). She did all this with a calm determination fuelling her, and before she knew it, the sun had begun to sink below the sea, far beyond the harbour.

She was starting to feel hungry again and decided she would go down to the bar in search of something to eat, sweeping on her cloak because she didn't really feel like socialising with any of the barflies down there; especially after that brief encounter earlier with Kanbe. However, she kept the hood down to keep a few manners, and she'd probably draw more attention with it up, acting all mysterious and lonesome.

As she came to the bottom of the stairs and started to walk towards the bar, she saw the innkeeper she'd met yesterday, pouring drinks and laughing with his patrons, and a girl about her age who must have been his daughter; she was of average height with long, black hair the colour of the darkest, moonless nights, and she was also very curvy, much like a younger version of her mother, Maya.

Unfortunately these curves, stunning features and doe like eyes were attracting the unwanted attention of a group of men in their late twenties and early thirties, who were sitting at one end of the bar. Ren could tell even from a distance that they were harassing the younger girl, and it was clear to Ren that she was uncomfortable, despite the smile she put on.

The alehouse was packed this evening, loud chatter and ruckus laughter filling the large, open area and there were very few tables and seats unoccupied.

As Ren got closer she noticed three more things: 1) the men only harassed the girl (Erisa, if Ren remembered correctly) when her father was turned away and was serving people at the opposite end of the bar. 2) She kept politely asking them to stop and told them she didn't appreciate their comments. And 3) there was an empty bar stool at one corner of the bar, the same side the group of men were sitting at.

Ren took that seat.

She called the barmaid over, getting both her attention and the groups.

"Hi, can I offer you the Special from today's menu and a pint of our very own Anchor Ale? It's the best in town!" Erisa asked. She had a loud but friendly voice and looked relieved for a little respite from the pestering men.

"What's today's special?" Ren asked.

"Steak and kidney pie. My mother's secret recipe." She replied with a conspiratory wink.

"That would be great, thanks." Ren said with a smile. She was fairly relaxed, her forearms leaning on the bar in front of her. She was nowhere near as curvy or as busty as Erisa, but her green tipped locks and mysterious nature somehow made men see past her frizzy hair and crooked nose; she wouldn't question it, men didn't often make sense to her.

Whilst she still didn't want the reputation of picking fights here, she refused to do nothing; these jerks would be the kind she'd beat up back in her own village, its where her reputation came from, and she wasn't about to let these ones get away.

She would just have to use her wit, instead of the anger which usually fuelled her fists; that was the only reason she won fights, in reality she was awful in combat and relied on surprise and her opponents reluctance to hit a girl (they were, more often than not, rather sexist) and usually someone stepped in before it got out of hand. But Ren would take all the punches in the world to stop them from harassing people.

Her pint was delivered by Erisa, but Ren knew she had the men's attention as she took a large swig out of it.

 _Wow,_ Ren thought, _this beer really is great._

"Hey, sweet cheeks, why don't you bring that stool over here? Get a little closer to us men."

It didn't sound like a question.

"Yeah, there's no need to be afraid of us, we'd never hurt a woman such as yourself."

The deep chuckles of his friends seemed to disagree.

Ren turned her head to acknowledge them, blinking slowly, and her reaction was a wolf whistle followed by more chuckles; she was barely controlling her rage and disgust, but managed to put on an innocent expression as she asked:

"Who? Me?"

"Yeah, you. I appreciate a dame who drinks _proper_ alcohol, none of that fancy wine stuff. Why not come drink with us, it'll be _my_ treat." It was the same man who had spoken first, apparently the group's leader.

"Well, alright," she said "but who should I sit next to?"

Erisa brought her food over, setting it in front of her as she gave Ren a quick look of gratefulness, confusion and worry. She looked at the men with distaste as she went to serve another patron.

"Come sit next to me, I'll show you a good time." A thin, gangly fellow replied, his mouth stretching into a creepy smile, his grimy teeth revealed.

"Hey! I'm the leader, and I'm the one the _lovely lady_ should sit next to." The first man said, confirming Ren's thoughts.

"How come you get all the fun? Give _us_ a chance with the ladies or you'll find yourself on the cold hard ground one of these days." A balding man in his thirties threatened.

"You'll scare her off you idiots!" whispered a man at the back harshly, breaking up the potential fight, the men's eyes narrowed at each other in anger. "These stupid teenage girls are sensitive! We need to be careful to get this one."

They all turned back to Ren, the leader asking, "So, who do you want to sit next to, sweet cheeks?"

 _Perfect,_ Ren thought, _these jerks are just as idiotic as the rest._

What no one noticed, however, was that the young man who was sitting just around the corner of the bar, nursing a shot glass with a bottle of whiskey next to him, was listening to the whole ordeal, occasionally glancing at the group.

"Oh, why I don't know! A silly girl like me couldn't _possibly_ make that decision for myself!" Ren said, acting confused and helpless, "But… I would like the _strongest_ man by me, to protect me you know? I am just a defenceless girl after all." She tilted her head and fluttered her lashes at the men.

Ren was their quarry and they wouldn't hurt her in such a public place. The men's discord and competition only aided her. She had this in the bag.

The men had been shouting about how strong they were as Ren looked on, and had even began pushing each other, so she said:

"There must be some way you can prove your strength to me… some way to prove that you can _fight_ off the competition and protect me…"

As she had spoken the men had paused to look at her, but at the word _fight_ , their tiny brains overloaded with testosterone and the punches started to be thrown.

It wasn't long before it turned into an all-out bar fight, the small group of men breaking tables, throwing stools and chairs and plates, some patrons ducking under their still intact tables whilst others rushed to try and break up the fight; though they ended up getting involved in it instead.

Ren watched as the innkeeper rushed towards the scene, off to throw out the trouble makers. A small smirk of victory found itself on her face.

She looked at Erisa, who stood in front of her behind the bar, her mouth slightly agape and a light blush upon her cheeks.

"Sorry about the mess." Ren said, a little sheepishly.

She put the money on the counter and gave the barmaid a tip as she flicked her hood over her hair, the shadows concealing her face. She picked up her plate and tankard, one in each hand, dodging flying chairs and ducking underneath limbs as she made her way over to an empty table in the far corner of the room.

She walked past the man who had been listening in on the ordeal, heading over to sit in a chair by a latticed window; as it was now dark outside the corner was partly in shadow.

The young man smirked at her wit and at the group of vile men finally being thrown out, a few patrons helping the innkeeper and his daughter clean up the mess and return the furniture to its upright state. The young woman he had been watching kept her hood up, now settled in a chair and tucking into her meal, undisturbed and unnoticed, having slipped away during the commotion.

The man waited a while before he called over the barmaid, who was back to serving people, peace restored to the alehouse once more, and asked:

"May I have another shot glass please, Miss, for my companion."

"Of course."

Ren was enjoying her peace and quiet, savouring her meal and revelling in her victory; she hadn't lifted a finger and she found she liked this new method, it was much more entertaining.

Her peace was broken however, when a young man sat in the chair opposite her, placing two empty shot glasses and a bottle of whiskey on her table.

She looked up at him from the shadows of her hood, pausing in her eating for moment, the green flecks in her irises seeming to glow in the dim light. But she soon dismissed him, hoping he would leave if she didn't engage in conversation, and carried on with her meal silently.

"You dealt with those men well, Miss." The stranger said, "I have to say, it was difficult not to laugh at them, hearing you manipulate them so easily." He finished with a chuckle, an arm on the back of his chair and posture slouched. After a few minutes of silence, he still hadn't left.

"Yeah, well…" Ren said, anger bubbling up again at the mere mention of them, "I can't stand jerks like that. They have no _honour_ , their _selfish_ , _foolish_ , and they think women are some kind of _possession_ to be won-" with each word her fork stabbed harder into the steak and kidney pie in front of her, leaving a small chip in the plate beneath at her last statement, which was cut off due to her grinding teeth.

The man nodded placatingly, asking in a calm voice, "Couldn't the barmaid have dealt with them though?"

At the mention of Erisa, Ren calmed down a little, gently placing her fork back on the table and releasing a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

"Yes, but I think she was afraid of losing the business they were providing. After all, you're not supposed to upset your patrons."

Once again the stranger nodded.

"Besides," Ren said, looking over at the bar, "I think I gave her a little push in the direction she wanted to go in anyway. She won't need help anymore."

The stranger turned to where she was gazing, and saw that the barmaid was talking to the innkeeper. She was pointing to where those men had sat, explaining something to the man, who then gripped her shoulder before pulling her into a hug, laughing and shaking his head at her. It appeared as though the girl's worries of her father's expectations had been lifted; she would no longer have to tolerate harassment in the alehouse, not from anyone.

When the young man turned back to his 'companion', he saw a pair of eyes, surrounded by shadow, narrowing at him suspiciously. He remained unfazed when her gaze darted to the whiskey bottle and shot glasses, then back to his face.

"You can't have come over here just to congratulate me on manipulating a bunch of idiots. What is it you want?" she asked, trying to gauge his thoughts as she searched his face for a hint of his motive.

"Hmm? Oh, how rude of me! I'm Obi." The man said, placing one hand on his chest, the other still on the back of his chair, his head inclining towards her slightly.

"Ren." She said, tilting her chin upwards briefly in greeting.

"I just wanted to ask you," Obi said, leaning towards her, "Is your hair natural?"

Ren's fork stopped on its way to her mouth, but her surprise ebbed away when she realised that he must have seen it at the bar, when her hood was down; he had said he had been listening, after all, and it was likely he had glanced over a few times.

"I've never seen anyone with different coloured hair at the ends, so it got me curious." Obi continued, leaning back again "You see, I know someone with naturally red hair, bright as an apple, so I thought maybe you had naturally green-"

He had said it so casually, just a passing comment really, that Ren almost missed it. She suddenly had flashbacks to the previous day and her embarrassing encounter with a young woman her age, who had bright red hair…

"Red?!" She interrupted, looking up at Obi, "Like an apple?" Before looking down again, muttering to herself, "So it was natural then…"

Suddenly Obi was leaning forward, both arms on the table and his face very close to Ren's, his once care free expression now deadly serious and his eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Ren's shadowed face.

"Taking an interest in this person?"

Ren leant back, confused about this strange line of questioning and the remaining scraps of her meal forgotten.

Seeing her confused expression, Obi elaborated accusingly, "Hair that colour would fetch a hefty price, and when attached to a young woman even more so, wouldn't you say?"

Ren's eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she understood the accusation he was placing on her. And she was both outraged and mortified.

" _What?!_ " she screeched, "You think I would _sell_ a girl just because she has a _rare hair colour?!_ I would never sell somebody, no matter the reward! The very idea makes me _sick_ , it's awful!"

But Obi still hadn't backed down, so she added, "I was only interested because I met a girl with apple red hair at the Open Castle Day yesterday! I've never seen such a bright colour before and I couldn't believe it!" Her hands had started to flap about in front of her, "I was in such awe of it I-I complimented her aloud… which she clearly didn't want because she had it covered. I certainly wasn't thinking about _selling_ her!"

Seeing her sincerity in both her eyes and her words, Obi relaxed, leaning back in his chair and one arm draped over the back again.

There was a minute of awkward silence between the two before Ren asked hesitantly:

"Why did you get so defensive and hostile about it? Who is she?"

"A friend of mine, who I'm… very protective off." He said with slight smirk, as though he was sharing a private joke with himself.

"So… have people tried to sell her in the past?"

"As far as I know… the Miss's hair has caused her trouble before, so I do my best to guard her."

"Ugh, that's disgusting. There really are a lot of jerks out there, huh?" Ren said, staring at the table as if it was one of these jerks.

"I'm afraid so." Obi said with a solemn chuckle.

"Wait," Ren said, looking up at Obi and leaning on the table, "If you're her friend that means you must know how she felt about the whole ordeal!"

"Well she wasn't here for-"

"No! Not that, the ordeal when I complemented her hair! I didn't stick around long enough for a reply… god that was so embarrassing." She said, hand running down her face.

"Hahaha!" Ren looked up, surprised to see Obi laughing so much, "It was fine! The Miss wasn't worried about it at all! Just a little confused as to why you ran off so fast. I have to say though, your embarrassment was kinda funny." He finished, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.

"Ha ha." Ren deadpanned, unimpressed by his laughter, "It's a relief to know she wasn't offended though, with her hood up and all I thought I was being very rude."

"Nah," Obi said, his laughter finally dying off, "The Miss was actually happy to get a sincere compliment for once, not like the usual badgering she gets from jerks."

Ren smiled, and after a few moments of silence (a little less awkward this time) Obi asked, "Want a drink?" holding up the shot glasses and bottle of whisky, sitting up in his chair.

To his surprise, she said yes.

Upon seeing his slightly dumbfounded expression she laughed, saying, "I can see your honour and loyalty to your friend, and those qualities are hard to come by these days. I reckon I can trust you. That and I never turn down a free drink." She smirked as she took the offered glass from Obi, who gave a short laugh in return.

Each having taken a shot of whiskey, Obi asked whilst pouring their second:

"So, what are you doing in town, Miss Ren?"

"I'm here for the examination at the palace tomorrow, to become the Court Blacksmiths Apprentice."

"Is that so? Well, I wish you luck." He said, raising his newly filled shot glass. Ren raised hers, they _clinked_ together and then the burning alcohol was thrown down their throats, warming their stomachs below.

The two spent the night drinking and joking together, enjoying the company of someone who could also hold their liquor, somehow finding a comradery in those few hours; talking, but never revealing much about themselves.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" Ren teased as Obi poured yet another round of shots, "Because I bet I could drink you under the table."

"I would never dream of purposefully getting a woman drunk." He said, laughing at her confident boasting, "But I guess we'll have to put that bet to the test one day."

At the mention of 'test', Ren remembered her own and found that it had just gone midnight.

"I... should probably go to sleep, I do have to get up early for my exam tomorrow." She said with a groan, "I'll never get up on time."

Ren stood with a smile, saying "It was nice meeting you, Obi."

She got a smile and a nod in return, and so started to walk back across the inn towards the stairs, her back to Obi and her hood still covering her hair and face.

But she hadn't gotten too far before she stopped, turning back towards him and brightly saying, "Thanks for the drink." Flipping a coin over to him and finally leaving without another word.

Obi caught the coin easily in one hand, looking between it and the receding back of the cloaked figure, quietly saying to himself:

"No worries there; the Miss is definitely safe. But if Miss Ren does get into the castle, I can always keep an eye on her, just in case."

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! It makes me so happy to see you enjoy it!  
** **LilyAllycia: funnily enough i got your review just as I was writing this chapter! And of course there will be prejudice, no matter how it pains me to write it.  
** **Next chapter will be the examination! I apologise if the plot isn't very exciting atm, but these first chapters are important to set up the rest of the fic. If anyone has any tips for me, plot wise or writing wise, please let me know! I will try to get the next chapter out next week as after that I'm going away for around two weeks with no laptop! So I'm warning you now just in case i don't have time to write it all up.  
** **As always, thank you for reading and please leave a REVIEW!**

 **-Limegreenarcher**


	5. Chapter 5: Test Day 1

It was a beautiful morning in Wistal. Birds were singing. People lazily wandered through the streets. The suns golden rays shone down on the city below. The sea was a calm body of brilliant blue. It was perfect; idyllic really.

And Ren was neither seeing nor hearing any of it.

This was because she was still in a deep sleep, completely unconscious to her surroundings; that is until-

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

The insistent sound of a knuckle rapping on a wooden door barely roused Ren from her slumber, and she groaned as she turned her back to it. There was a pause in the knocking and a slightly tentative voice could be heard from the other side, muffled by the heavy door:

"I'm sorry to bother you so early, but I noticed you hadn't left your room yet. I saw a poster in town saying the blacksmith exam started at 9 o'clock, and its 8:30 now. If you don't leave soon you won't make it to the palace on time."

A loud crash could be heard from inside the room, along with a very loud curse, and Erisa (for it was the barmaid who had been knocking on Ren's door) pressed her ear against the wood, calling out to its inhabitant worriedly:

"Are you alright in there?"

She was met with the sound of more mumbled curses and the loud thumps of feet tramping about the place.

Ren had been so startled by the time that she had fallen out of bed, landing heavily in a heap of tangled sheets and limbs. She then proceeded to continually trip over these sheets as she scrambled about her room to get dressed, hopping backwards on one foot as she pulled her trousers on, and then quickly falling on her backside as her foot caught on a bed sheet.

Erisa's brow furrowed when she got no reply, but she was quickly forced to jump back from the door as it was slammed open, a hastily dressed and frizzy haired Ren standing in the doorway. Her sword was at her side, strapped to her belt.

She was already panting slightly, and quickly grabbed her room key before closing the door, racing down the stairs as she thanked Erisa for the wake-up call, braiding thin strands of her hair before pulling it all into a ponytail.

Erisa wasn't too far behind, explaining to Ren how her mother had told her of Ren's hopes that morning at breakfast, prompted by Erisa's own mention of Ren and her honourable actions the previous night.

As the two reached the inns main door Erisa grabbed a plate from a nearby table and offered it to Ren, who was now standing on the threshold. Bewildered, Ren grabbed the jam toast and profusely thanked the barmaid as she lingered in the doorway.

"Go!" Erisa said, shooing Ren away with her free hand and laughing lightly, "Or you'll be even later than you already are!"

With one last "Thank you!" Ren raced off down the street, the sound of Erisa's laugh fading as she came ever closer to the palace, stuffing toast and strawberry jam into her mouth as she went.

* * *

Shiira Eigan and Kai Ulkir, gatekeepers of the Poets Gate of Wistal Palace, glanced at each other and then back at the young woman who stood with her hands on her knees, huffing heavily as she tried to catch her breath.

It was Kai, the excitable blond, who asked her, "Are you alright, Miss?"

"Apprentice…" _*puff*_ "Blacksmith…" _*puff*_ "Exam…"

Realisation dawned on the guards faces and they were quick to hurry her in the right direction, Shiira giving her precise instructions on how to get to the orientation room; everyone else had already arrived and been shown there by an attendee.

"It's gonna start any minute now, so you better hurry! I saw the blacksmith himself pass by here not too long ago!" Kai exclaimed after Shiira was finished.

Ren gulped but nodded determinedly; she'd made it this far, one last sprint would have to do it, or she'd have failed before the exam had even begun.

"Thank you so much!" She called back, sprinting through the gate and following Shiira's instructions, her cloak billowing behind her.

The two guards watched as she sped away, but soon turned back to each other, Shiira with a raised eyebrow and quizzical expression, Kai with an excited grin spreading across his face; for they had noticed that the ends of her hair were a deep forest green, and they had never seen nor heard of this two toned colour before. They secretly started rooting for Ren, without even knowing her name, (Kai a little more so than Shiira), but each wanted to know more about the girl with green hair who was trying to become an Apprentice Court Blacksmith; so they cheered her on as they stood guard in the early morning sun, hoping she would succeed.

Meanwhile Ren, who was clueless as to her supporters, slipped into a seat at the back of the orientation room, a clock somewhere chiming 9am. It was the largest, grandest room she had ever seen, yet she suspected that this was one of the most modest rooms in the whole palace.

She had just about caught her breath when a tall, bulky man entered the room. Every muscle in his arms looked as though it was straining against his skin, yet none of them looked out of place on his enormous stature. He reminded Ren a little of her father, although Reizo was much leaner than this giant.

The man lumbered to the front, his heavy footsteps echoing in the large room. Another, smaller man was following behind; he was of average height but was dwarfed when standing next to the first.

They reached the front, where a long desk sat, and faced the now incredibly nervous examinees, who had fallen silent upon their entrance.

The large man was bald but had a thick, bushy, dark brown beard with a few flecks of grey in it, and his eyes were the colour of warm coals; almost black, yet they glowed with a friendly warmth which conflicted with his current, intimidating stance. He had olive skin which shone with sweat, but he was also covered in a layer of dust and grime; this was a man who worked hands on in a forge every day, and didn't care if he was dirty.

The menacing appearance wasn't broken at all by the sling that held up his right arm; the whole reason behind this examination. Despite not being able to work, the Court Blacksmith still wore his thick leather apron, which he could never be seen without. And fortunately for Ren, he had stopped on his way here to talk to the Chief Court Herbalist, whom he had bumped into and was good friends with.

Only Ren seemed to notice the warmth in his eyes, as all the other examinees appeared to be terrified of the man.

 _He must be purposefully intimidating us,_ Ren thought, _maybe trying to gauge our personal strength? Either that or he's just enjoying seeing newbies squirm._

The blacksmith was in fact intimidating them on purpose, in order to see their reaction; could they handle pressure from higher ups? Could they handle being in the same room as a person who was both intimidating _and_ had power over them? One of them would soon be working in the Court of Clarines' royal family, after all.

"My name is Otsu." The giant of a man said in a deep, stern voice, "And I am the Court Blacksmith here at Wistal Palace. As you should all know by now, I have no other colleagues and am unable to work due to my broken arm. In a months' time all of the new palace guards will need ceremonial swords, and whilst I have begun this task, I can no longer complete it on time."

Otsu looked over everyone with a critical eye, saying, "That is where you come in. I can accept one apprentice and one apprentice only. That person will help me create the rest of the ceremonial swords. If you achieve this, you will stay on as my apprentice and maybe someday become a Court Blacksmith yourself."

Everyone looked hopeful and excited by that prospect, but unfortunately for a young man sitting at the front, the blacksmith had moved from behind his desk.

" _However_ ," Otsu said, slamming his left hand down on the desk in front of the young man, making him and everyone else jump back with renewed fear on their faces, "Your skill will not only have to impress me, but I will have to _like_ you." The blacksmith leaned closer and closer to the young man's face, his chair tilting further and further backwards until _Bam!_ He was now on the floor, dazed but unharmed.

Otsu moved back behind the desk. He counted the number of people who had managed to turn up on such short notice: 16.

"The exam will run over the course of two days. You will go into the forge in pairs and each create a dagger in 3 hours. My old friend Dai here will be watching you and making notes to report back to me." He gestured to the smaller man next to him, you gave a sharp nod in their direction; he had also been roped into the intimidating act.

"When you are not in the forge you will answer a series of questions, asked by me. These interviews will be individual and I will also inspect the piece of work you have brought with you. I will inspect the piece you create in the forge at the end of the two days."

"You must be in the castle grounds from 9am to 9pm, whether you have completed the exam or not. The palace guards will inform me if anybody is late tomorrow and if anybody leaves. If you do so you are disqualified from this examination."

A few eyes widened, particularly Ren's; she had been lucky today, but it would _not_ happen again.

"You will all be provided with a permission slip, signed by myself and His Highness Prince Izana, allowing access to anywhere on the castle grounds. But if you are late or miss your time slots for the forge or your interview… You will be _disqualified_."

There was a short pause before a barked, "Are we clear?!"

In reply there was a chorus of panicked shouts of "Sir Yes Sir!" or "Yes Chief!" There was even a squeaky shout of "Sure thing Dad!", though from who it was hard to tell.

"Good." Otsu said, nodding to Dai who produced paper, ink and a dip pen, taking a seat at the desk, "You will enter the forge in the order you came in. Times for both the forge and the interviews will be posted on this sheet on the forge door. After this I will show you to both areas."

"You." He pointed to the boy who had fallen out of his chair, "Name."

And so the list was created. Ren of course would be in the last pair to enter the forge on the second day, as she was the last examinee to arrive and was sitting at the back. It would start at 6pm.

As promised they were shown to the forge and to the interview area, which was outside, and the list was hammered to the forge door. Ren's interview would be at 3 o'clock this afternoon.

The Court Blacksmith had thought about this exam carefully and about the different aspects he had wanted to access, and ended up with this: 1) their skill and speed in the forge. 2) Their ambitions, personality and experience in the interview. 3) Their creativity and skill shown through their past work (though people could cheat and use someone else's, hence the forge part of the test). And 4) their time management and ability to accustom to new surroundings and handle new experiences and people (court life was rather different, what with all the people and court gossip floating about). For this last part he would have to rely on his friends in the palace to report back to him any instances they might see or hear, and any trouble that may be caused (he hoped that wouldn't happen, but with only one position up for grabs, who knows what people would do…). He had been fortunate enough that Prince Izana had quickly agreed to it as well, though for what reasons, the blacksmith would never know.

Ren found herself wondering the palace gardens, enjoying the sun as she waited for her interview. As she walked she saw a large greenhouse down an adjoining path, and at the gentle sound of running water, she went to investigate.

It was absolutely stunning; Ren seemed to be thinking that a lot about the palace, but it was true every time. The late morning sun provided a pleasant warmth in the greenhouse, the calming sound of tranquil streams filling Ren's ears, reminding her of the forests back home when she closed her eyes.

The water ran down stone irrigation channels which fed the plants, all in large beds in a multi-layered system. It was ingenious really, and Ren wandered along the rows of herbs, seeing which ones she could identify from her father's teachings.

"Excuse me," a voice asked from the back of the greenhouse, "Did you need something?"

Ren turned from her musings to see a tall boy around her age, with mousy brown hair and deep, misty purple eyes. He wore the long white coat of a Court Herbalist, and was holding a basket of freshly picked herbs under one arm.

"Oh! No, I just came in here because I was curious, that's all." Ren said.

"Oh, okay. Well, just let me know if you need something." He said, "I'm Higata, by the way. I'm an Apprentice Court Herbalist here."

"Really?!" Ren asked in excitement, "Are these all medicinal plants then?"

"Yep, every single one of them." Higata said.

"Wow." Ren said, looking around at the thriving fauna, "I'm hoping to become the Apprentice Court Blacksmith. My exam is today and I'm allowed to wonder around the palace and its grounds, it's why I found myself here."

Higata had made his way towards her, and was now standing next to her saying, "Oh yeah, I remember someone talking about that. I wish you luck, I heard only one person gets to be selected."

"Yeah, it's gonna be tough…" Ren said, frowning slightly, "I'm Ren by the way, and thanks for the good luck." She smiled and shook his hand.

The two got into amicable conversation, Ren asking Higata what it was like to live and work in the palace, and Higata also telling her about the few herbs she did recognise; there were many properties she didn't know about and she listened intently, planning on telling this new information to her father when she next returned home.

Eventually, however, her stomach began to rumble, so loudly that it made Higata pause in his explanation of the uses of chamomile. Ren blushed slightly in embarrassment, her hands lightly gesturing and fingers twisting together as she asked if there was anywhere she could get some food on palace grounds.

"Well, you could try the palace kitchens. As long as you show your permission slip, I'm sure they'll give you some food. But be careful," Higata warned, "I've heard the Head Cook is _strict_ and _cold_ , and doesn't stand for any kind of disrespect shown to her. It will be difficult to scrounge up anything more than a few crumbs if you speak to her directly."

"Sounds like a challenge." Ren smirked, "Thanks Higata, and maybe I'll get to see you around!"

"Good luck!" he called, Ren waving back to him as she left the greenhouse and Higata returning back to his work once she had gone.

Fortunately for Ren the kitchens weren't too far away from the greenhouse, so she didn't get lost on her way there.

She knocked twice on the door, and it was soon opened by a young woman in her late twenties, steam rolling out and dissipating into the sky above.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes, I was just wondering if you could spare any food for me. Just some bread or fruit for my lunch please, if you can." Ren asked gently.

The cook looked at her kindly, saying, "Of course you can my dear! I'll just go get something for you now."

But before Ren could say thank you or the cook could even move, another woman appeared in the doorway, coming out of the steam inside.

She was much older than the cook, with deep wrinkles cutting through her sharp features, her nose hooked at the end and cold, beady eyes like a vulture peering at Ren underneath bushy grey eyebrows. Her back was slightly hunched and she was very short, but Ren could tell she would be a hard woman to crack; sweet smiles and innocent eyes wouldn't help her here.

"Who are you?" the old hag demanded, her voice scratchy and harsh, "I haven't seen you around before, and I know everyone."

From the way the young cook stepped back, averted her eyes and appeared to shrink slightly, Ren guessed that this was the infamous Head Cook.

She stood tall and proud, her chin lifted as she presented the old woman with her permission slip, respectively saying, "I'm requesting a few small provisions for my lunch for today and tomorrow, if you will allow it, ma'am".

The vulture of a Head Cook looked Ren up and down, scrutinising her very soul as her colleague looked on nervously. A few tense minutes passed, where only the sounds of the kitchen behind them could be heard, and just as it looked like the Head Cook was about to refuse, the younger cook stepped in:

"Ma'am, it would only be very basic provisions, things like bread and fruit, which we have plenty of to spare. It wouldn't cost us anything to feed this one girl for two days. I'll even prepare it myself, so you don't have to worry or waste your time on it."

She had said this all very tentatively, but she appeared to be used to talking to the Head Cook without getting her head bitten off, her hands clasped in front her and looking at her boss hopefully.

A few more tense minutes passed, but deciding she'd rather just get Ren out of her wiry grey hair, the Head Cook said, "Fine."

The young cook brought her clasped hands up to her chest, a smile gracing her lips and Ren holding in a sigh of relief.

"Sakuro!" the Head Cook barked, making the cook stand straight, hands behind her back, "You are in charge of making and delivering this girls meals whenever she arrives here. This will not interrupt your usual work schedule, am I understood?"

"Yes Ma'am!" Sakuro said quickly.

"Gooood." The hag drawled, giving one last piercing glare at Ren before returning to the kitchen.

Sakuro gave Ren a wide grin, her shoulders hunched up by her ears, before she sped off into the steam of the kitchen, leaving the door open.

She soon re-emerged from the steam, holding a small, brown paper bag which contained Ren's lunch for the day; some bread and cheese, an apple, and a small glass bottle of cider.

"Here you go." Sakuro said cheerfully.

"Thank you so much," Ren said, taking the bag from her, "I wouldn't have anything to eat without your help."

"Oh, it's no problem," she said, flicking her hand, "I couldn't let _anyone_ go hungry. Now, just come back same time tomorrow and ask for me, I'll have your lunch waiting for you."

Ren thanked her once again (another thing she was doing a lot of since coming to Wistal) and left to go eat her newly acquired lunch.

Not wanting to get lost, Ren slowly made her way back to the interview area, eating as she went.

The interviews were being held outside, in a secluded courtyard area with an elegant set of table and chairs; the metal furniture and large stone slabs were surrounded by beautiful trellises of fragrant honeysuckle and jasmine, low and finely cut hedges framing the area from the outside, the only two entrances being the metal archways on either side of the area, vibrant clematises climbing up and twining around the metalwork.

Outside this area was an extensive lawn with a few trees dotted about, and it was beneath one of these trees that Ren came to rest under, waiting for her interview and finishing off her apple.

Right on time, the Court Blacksmith came out of the nearest archway and called Ren's name. She put her yellowing apple core back into the paper bag and followed Otsu into the interview area.

The two reached their seats on opposite sides of the small, round table, but before Ren could sit Otsu said:

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ren."

Reaching out his left hand, Ren took it in her own, and she wasn't surprised by the firm grip of his handshake. However, the now bright friendly tone he used, the big grin on his face, and the energy he put into that handshake were quite jolting when compared to the intimidating act he had been putting on before; it had been very convincing and Ren was sure his handshake would have been even more energetic if it weren't for his broken arm.

"I-It's my pleasure to meet you and have this chance, Sir." Ren said.

"Oh there's no need for such silly formalities," Otsu said, waving off Ren's use of 'Sir' immediately, just as he had done for the other candidates. He sat down and indicated to Ren's own chair, "Take a seat and we'll get this interview underway."

As Ren sat, she thought about how out of place the (now confirmed) friendly giant looked in the pristine garden; his work-torn apron, dirty appreance and large frame were quite humorous when placed on the delicate furniture, surrounded by the sweet smelling flowers and the gentle sounds of nature. Ren was finding it hard not to release a small chuckle, but fortunately Otsu distracted her with a question.

"So how old are you Ren?" he asked.

"I'm 18."

"Okay…" he said, writing the information down on a piece of paper; he seemed to be struggling to write with his left hand. "And where are you from?"

"Tarrin. It's a small village in the East." Ren was struggling not to use any honorifics, but she was beginning to get used to it… a little bit, anyway.

Otsu struggled to write for a few more moments before finally giving up, grumbling to himself and deciding he would just have to remember the rest and finish the paper work later.

"What is your previous experience in the blacksmithing industry, Ren?" he asked.

"My parents have run the forge in our village for 20 years, so I've worked in there and learnt from them for… 5 years now."

"Good good…" Otsu said, now studying her expression closely, "And why is it you want to become my Apprentice, here at Wistal Palace?"

Ren didn't even have to think for one second as to what her answer would be:

"I want to learn all that I can, from the best there is. I hope that by getting this apprenticeship, I can hone my skills and one day become a Court Blacksmith myself, to _prove_ my skill to both myself and to others." Ren decided to be completely honest, "I came here to learn and experience new things, things I would never get the chance to be a part of if I stayed in Tarrin."

Otsu could see the passion, sincerity and determination in her eyes; in the way she proudly held herself as she sat in her chair and in the way her jaw set, readying herself to weather any storm thrown her way.

He smiled gently, saying, "There have not been many _female_ Court Blacksmiths in the history of Wistal Palace. And you would be the youngest by far." The fiery passion in Ren's eyes only became brighter, "I think it's about time that changed… Although that is entirely up to you, if you are indeed up to the task."

"I am, Sir- I mean, Otsu." Ren said confidently.

"I don't doubt it," Otsu laughed, "Now, let's see what you've brought with you."

Ren detached the scabbard from her belt, drawing the sword and handing it to the blacksmith, handle first, Ren being careful not to injure herself as she balanced the blade with two hands.

The Court Blacksmith was having some difficulty remaining passive as he inspected the sword; it was a truly beautiful piece, but also practical as it was perfectly balanced and easy to hold. He could see her creativity, skill and patience in the neatly engraved vines which twisted down the centre of the thin blade, tapering off around half way down. The guard mirrored these vines as it was made of plaited rods of silver which twisted down, forming a small basket which would cover the top of the hand, one strand curving downwards towards the pommel in the style of a rapier. The pommel itself was shaped like a vine leaf, the handle a supple leather.

"How long did this take you to make?" Otsu asked, unable to stop the praise from slipping into his voice.

"Just under two months." Ren said, recalling the late nights she had spent working on the sword, often alone in the forge, and her excitement to see the finished piece keeping her going.

"Well, it is a truly remarkable piece of craftsmanship, Ren. You should be proud." Otsu said, handing the sword back to her with a smile on his face.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me." Ren said, her pride swelling and a large smile appearing on her face.

But the blacksmith just humbly laughed it off, saying "Thank you for your time, Ren, and enjoy the rest of your day."

"Oh, er, you too!" Ren said, a little shocked it was already over, quickly bowing to Otsu before walking through the archway and out of her interview.

 _That was easier than I thought it would be…_ Ren thought, releasing a large sigh of relief.

She decided to stay in the interview area, once again sitting in the shade of a large tree whilst observing the other candidates, who were wandering about or chatting together on the extensive lawn. Ren was pleased to see that there were quite a few women in the group, and hoped that if she didn't get in, one of them would.

Her back leaning against the rough bark of the tree trunk, one leg bent with her knee in the air and one arm resting on it, she closed her eyes, content to just rest in the early evening sun, thinking about her interview.

Her peace was disturbed however, when a haughty voice from her left asked:

"And who are you?"

Ren lazily opened one eye to see a trio standing next to her, consisting of two girls and one boy, all around the same age as her.

It was the curvy girl at the front who had spoken, and she looked slightly shorter than Ren; she clearly took pride in her appearance and had closely cropped, jet black hair with a sweeping fringe which hid one of her slate grey eyes, both in sharp contrast to her porcelain skin.

Ren was struggling to keep the blush of her face and her other eye closed, the one that was open finding it difficult enough not to stray from the young woman's face.

The shortest of the three was the girl on the left, who was quite stumpy and her chubby cheeks made her look very young. However, her hazelnut skin, chestnut eyes and dark chocolate hair gave her rich and glamourous appearance, the unruly curls pulled back into a loose bun, barely constrained.

The young man of the group was only slightly taller than the leader, about Ren's height and he was quite thin and gangly. His straight, sandy hair was pulled back into a short ponytail, a few stray wisps framing his face. His eyes were like jade, but he wore a bored expression on his face as if he didn't really care about anything at all.

What Ren didn't know was that this group were all from the same town. The leader was Cynthia, the shorter girl Tama, and the boy Rai. They all worked as apprentice blacksmiths in court of the Lord of the town, Cynthia's parents being the blacksmiths there, which to them meant that _she_ was the undisputed leader.

Ren finally managed to get control over herself and took in the groups raised chins and high-and-mighty expressions. Their stances weren't much better, arms crossed or hands in pockets, and they were looking down their noses at her; even if she were standing Ren reckoned nothing would change. These people _weren't_ friendly.

Ren closed her eye again, taking a breath before replying with a simple, "Ren."

She didn't want to talk to them, but she knew they wouldn't leave her alone unless she did.

"And where are you from, _Ren_?" Cynthia asked.

"Tarrin."

"Never heard of it."

"Not many people have." She said with a shrug.

"Well who do you work for?"

"My parents, at the moment."

"Ha!" Cynthia scoffed, "You're no one important."

Her friends laughed with her.

"How can _you_ become a _Court Blacksmith_?" she continued, still laughing with her hands on her hips.

Ren had been calm before, but now her shoulders tensed a little; she'd yet to reopen her eyes.

"I have as much a chance as everybody else does," Ren explained calmly, "It is a question of _talent_ , after all."

She now opened her eyes, staring straight into Cynthia's as she asked:

"Do _you_ have any talent to rely on?"

This, rather unsurprisingly, angered the whole group, Cynthia gasping:

"Don't you know _who I am_ , peasant scum?!"

"No," Ren said, once again closing her eyes, "Nor do I care."

There was a gasp from Tama, then:

"Look at us when we speak to you, peasant!"

They received no reply, Ren's eyes remaining closed; they would do until the group left.

Cynthia stepped towards Ren, glowering at her, but the chime of a pocket watch stopped her. Rai reached into one of his pockets, pulling out the old, slightly grimy watch by its chain, stating that it was just coming up to 6 o'clock.

"Oh no!" Tama exclaimed in her high pitched voice, "It's almost time for your slot in the forge Cynthia! You'll be late if we don't leave now!"

There was a few moments of silence as Cynthia continued to glare at an unmoving and seemingly uncaring Ren.

"Fine. But this isn't over." She promised, blowing her fringe out of eye and begrudgingly walking away, Tama and Rai close behind.

Once the sound of their footsteps had receded, Ren finally reopened her eyes and stared straight ahead of her, not really seeing anything in particular.

She was _furious_ at their assumption that high class and status meant they would get everything they wanted on a silver platter; that _she_ wouldn't get anywhere in life simply because of where she was born, who her parents were and who she worked for.

 _It's ridiculous,_ she thought, _absolute bullshit._

Ren spent the rest of her evening at the castle angrily flint knapping arrowheads; she always carried around the pieces of flint and the small antler of a muntjac deer, used to chip away at the stones, in one of her belt pouches, and whilst she didn't often use them for her real arrows (she made metal arrowheads in the forge for those) she did find the process therapeutic.

She only moved from underneath her tree when the sun had left the sky, leaving in search of some light, and she settled on a marble bench next to one of the palace buildings, the orange light from a nearby window and her newly acquired lantern illuminating her work, thoughts of the beautiful young woman who had all the wrong ideas angrily whirling around her mind.

* * *

 **A/N: Here it is, as promised. I'm sorry I wont be able to get the next chapter out before I go away, but I'll get right on it as soon as I get back!**

 **I seem to write an awful lot of cliche things, and writing good comebacks is hard when you yourself are not good at comebacks (winces at the thought of a certain conversation in the next chapter). Next chapter will the final test day one, results and all.**

 **Thank you once again to LilyAllycia for the review, I enjoyed writing the previous chapter _a lot._**

 ** _So: PLEASE REVIEW!_**

 **And I hope you enjoyed this chapter :D**

 **-Limegreenarcher**


	6. Chapter 6: Test Day 2

Ren was almost late (again) for her second day of examination, Erisa having to wake her up once more. When Ren had failed to emerge on time Erisa had presumed the girl had overslept, just like the previous day, and went to knock on her door, a similar chaos soon occurring behind it.

And whilst Erisa had been correct in her presumptions, Ren's lie in was for more reasons than just her inclination to sleep till noon. When Ren had returned her mind was still buzzing with Cynthia's words, digging themselves deeper and deeper into her mind, lodging themselves there and refusing to let Ren get any sleep. It was only because of sheer exhaustion that Ren finally managed to pass out in the early hours of dawn.

Fortunately, Ren had awoken with a clear head, the poisonous thoughts pushed far back into the recesses of her mind, forgotten for now. Though, the panic of running late _may_ have also helped her forget the trio's words.

As she raced through the palace gates the two guards waved and smiled, calling out a quick "Good morning!" to her, as Ren had paused for only a split second to show her permission slip before moving on. The guards noted a little humorously that she was once again cutting it fine as she hurriedly returned their greeting; for it was Kai and Shirra who were on duty again, and they were still quietly rooting for Ren.

Once she had arrived at the palace and her panicked, thumping heart had calmed down, Ren spent the morning wandering the grounds, collecting her lunch from Sakuro at the kitchen door; the shouts of the old hag were easily discernible among the clanging pots and pans inside.

 _There is_ _way too much stress around for this time of morning,_ Ren thought.

Having collected her provisions, Ren eventually came to a small courtyard with a low surrounding wall. There were a few trees scattered around the outer edges of the courtyard, one large clump providing some shade in the far corner, but the rest of the area was bathed in the warm rays of the midday sun.

Ren decided to sit on the section of wall that was shaded by the trees, relaxing as she ate her lunch and enjoying the warmth and stillness of the day. As she ate, she went over the steps she would have to take in the forge that evening to create a dagger, and noticed that Sakuro had managed to sneak in some chicken for her today.

 _I'll save that for later,_ Ren thought with a smile.

Full and content, Ren laid down on the low wall with her knees up, one leg crossed over the other and her hands behind her head. She closed her eyes and her elevated foot swayed slightly, every limb relaxing as she began to doze off.

The melodic chirps of birds and the soft rustling of leaves reminded her of home, and even the joyous laughter of some passers-by reminded her of her village, far, far away in the East.

Ren's already nostalgic memories were shattered, however, when one of those passers-by noticed her.

"Oh look, it's the peasant scum."

Tama and Rai were now laughing at Cynthia's comment, and Ren could practically _hear_ the devilish smirks that graced all their lips. She tensed and took a deep breath. The trio made their way towards her.

However, they were once again faced with closed eyes and blatant disregard.

"Can't you hear me, peasant?"

…

"I'm speaking to you."

…

"I know you're not asleep so _answer me!_ "

…Nothing. Not even a twitch.

The silence was broken only by Cynthia's now heavy breathing.

" _Someone,_ " Cynthia said, fists clenching and teeth grinding, "Needs to teach you a lesson in _manners!_ "

With that Cynthia's foot rose high into the air, rushing down and aiming for Ren's shoulder in the hopes of knocking her off the wall, Ren's eyes still sealed shut and unaware of-

But Cynthia's journey was cut short.

A lightly scarred hand was wrapped around Cynthia's ankle, and the shocked group looked up from the arm that had struck out, all the way to Ren's face; her eyes were now open, but the group wished they weren't.

The piercing glare was aimed towards Cynthia, but the deep, swirling pools of brown still managed to send chills down Tama and Rai's necks. Only Ren's arm had moved, and she had stopped Cynthia's foot just inches from her shoulder. She hadn't even flinched.

The trio were stunned by Ren's reflexes, as none of them had even _seen_ her arm move from behind her head; but it clearly had, and they stood dumbly like kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Cynthia recovered first from her shock.

" _Let go off me you imbecile!"_ She screamed like a banshee, " _How dare you touch me! I will have your head for this! My father will not_ stand _for it!"_ Her frantic screams continued as she futilely tried to free herself from Ren's grasp, pulling at her ankle and leaning backwards.

Eventually Ren released the girl, rolling her eyes at the dramatics and returning to her relaxed position once more. But before she closed her eyes she saw Cynthia stumble backwards from the sudden change in resistance, and a small smirk graced Ren's otherwise expressionless face.

The banshee-like screams had drawn the attention of the four people residing in a study which faced the courtyard. It was a grand study with a large balcony, several floors above the courtyard, and yet the screams were easily heard in the quiet room. All four heads turned towards the sound, and varying expressions of confusion and concern could be found on Prince Zen and his aide's faces. They all silently agreed and went out onto the balcony, where they could just about hear the conversation below:

"You were the one who was going to kick me off this wall." Ren said, her calm exterior back as she nonchalantly shrugged; as easily as you can whilst laying down, that is.

"You have no respect." Rai said, his brows furrowed and shaking his head slowly, as though he couldn't quite believe it.

Ren simply shrugged again; she felt as though the air had become stiller during their exchange, like the stuffy atmosphere before a thunderstorm. The group on the balcony felt it too, but having heard very little of the conversation below, they couldn't feel the same tension and sense of dread that she did.

"Who are they? They don't look like any of the palace staff." Zen asked curiously as he lent on the balcony's railing.

Kiki answered, "They're probably candidates for becoming the Court Blacksmiths Apprentice. They've been given access to nearly the whole of Wistal Palace."

"And my brother agreed to that?" Zen said a little incredulously, turning his head towards her.

"It would appear that way, yes." Kiki replied. The group's attention fell back onto those below.

"You'll never be a Court Blacksmith." Cynthia's onslaught continued, and Ren tensed with every word, "In fact, I'm surprised they let you into the city, let alone into the _palace,_ dressed in those tattered old rags and that _ridiculous_ cloak. You must be pretty delusional if you think some peasant scum like you, a _nobody_ from _nowhere,_ could even _dream_ of-"

" _Enough._ " It was barely a whisper, just a harsh breath released from Ren's lips; but it was still a warning, one that went unheeded.

"I'm _sorry_ , what was that?" Cynthia mocked, standing tall and proud, her grey eyes shining in delight, " _You don't belong here_. So why don't you just give up now? Run home before it's too late and-"

All of the pressure that had been building up seemed to be released at once, and the air itself appeared to crackle with energy, so much so that all who were there would swear to their graves that they saw it dancing in the humid, still air. And they would also swear that despite the midday sun shining brightly above them, a dark cloud loomed over that courtyard; a storm that could no longer be held back.

" _No_ ," Ren said. She was now standing, having moved just as quickly as before, and was mere inches away from her tormentor, "You shouldn't be surprised, _Cynthia_." She said the other girls name in a sickly sweet tone, and each could feel the others hot breath on their faces, "Status and rank don't matter, it's a test of skill. If it were a test of _personality_ however… well, you wouldn't be let anywhere near the city, let alone the _palace_."

The energy in the air seemed to spark around them like lightning, but they continued to stare at one another, neither backing down; earth brown and slate grey, battling it out, unaware of the world around them.

Ren stared down at the shorter girl, whose beauty and piercing stare were rooting her to the ground against her will. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Cynthia's fists clench, and she could only hope her stare were doing the same; it was, for despite Cynthia's fury she found she could not move, nor look away, and it was _maddening_.

"You're lucky it's not." Ren then continued passionately, saying, "I know so many people of ' _lower_ ' status who are so much kinder, so much more selfless and generous. No qualities _you_ seem to possess. So why don't you go torment some of the puppies in the Kennels, I'm sure you'll feel right at home in there."

The two girls were so close their noses almost touched; Cynthia could see the green flecks around Ren's irises and the slight crook in her nose, whilst Ren could see Cynthia's irises dilate and how her breath would ever so slightly move her sweeping fringe. The air was still thick and heavy. None of the onlookers dared to even breathe for fear of what the two young women would do next, not even the group on the balcony. They were all shocked by Ren's passionate outburst.

But there was another storm which could not be contained.

Cynthia lunged for Ren with a strangled cry, her nails flashing like talons. But her friends were quicker and restrained her, each holding back an arm, stances wide as they struggled to hold onto a storm, pulling her back inch by inch.

Their noses had briefly touched during that enraged lunge, but Ren continued to stand unflinchingly, staring the storm in the face.

She watched as Cynthia kicked and screamed, digging her feet into the earth below her as her friends tried desperately to pull her out of the courtyard. She had a snarl on her porcelain face and Ren could see both of her wide, mad grey eyes as she tossed her head about, the howls forever piercing the courtyard; it was a miracle no one came running to investigate.

Cynthia reminded Ren of a vengeful goddess in that very moment, like she would destroy the world if it meant getting her revenge on one puny mortal; and Ren supposed that was all she was to Cynthia, a being of lower status than she.

" _You are worthless!"_ she screeched, " _You will never amount to anything! Not here, not anywhere!"_

Cynthia's vengeful promises finally faded away, long after she had disappeared from sight, and Ren was once again alone in the courtyard.

Her fists clenched by her sides, her knuckles turning white and nails threatening to cut her palms, but the storm was gone. Ren's whole body slumped, and to those on the balcony it seemed as though she was defeated, no strength left to hold herself up with.

Ren was only just beginning to remember Cynthia's words from the previous day when-

 _ **Achoo!**_

The gigantic sneeze echoed throughout the courtyard, and Ren's head snapped up to the source; the balcony up above.

All froze as they stared at each other, eyes wide. And whilst the metaphorical storm had vanished, the first grey clouds of rain were beginning to form in the sky above.

As Ren stared the only thing she could make out was the colour of her watchers hair, and as the clouds gathered, the last rays of the midday sun illuminated that balcony.

When the first drops of rain began to fall however, Ren's eyes widened in panic at the realisation of witnesses to her defeat. Embarrassed she spun on her heel, flicking up the hood of her cloak and vaulting over the low wall, grabbing her bag of provisions as she went and fleeing into the dark shadows of the trees.

There was a long silence and then:

"Congratulations, Mitsuhide. You scared her off." Obi said teasingly, casually leaning against one of the pillars.

They all turned to the culprit of the sneeze, who was quickly becoming flustered, "I-I didn't mean too! It's not like I can control my nose! I-"

As a blushing Mitsuhide made his excuses, Zen smiled and turned back to look at where the cloaked girl had once stood. He was impressed and gratified by her words on status, and despite not knowing her, thanked her. It was a reassurance to the prince to know that there were more people out there who believed status shouldn't get in the way of important things, like achievement or friendship, and that they were willing to defend that; in Zen and Shirayuki's case, love, and he appreciated it more than he could say.

"The Court Herbalist exam wasn't _this_ bad," Zen said, turning to go back inside as the rain began to fall heavier, "And Shirayuki and I got locked in a greenhouse all night." He chuckled at the memory slightly.

Once again Kiki answered, everyone now back inside and the door to the balcony closed, "Only one person can get this apprenticeship, unlike in Shirayuki's exam where any number of candidates could pass. It's understandable the competition is so high."

"Even so… I just hope she's alright." Mitsuhide said, arms crossed as he looked out at the pouring rain.

"I doubt she'd want our help now anyway," Obi said, smirking, "especially if she knew who we were."

They all chuckled a bit at that, feeling slightly guilty about listening in on a very personal conversation, but were soon back to work.

But Obi would look out of the windows occasionally, out into that pouring rain which distorted everything in sight, and he would smirk to himself, for he could recognise that two toned hair anywhere.

 _Go get them Ren,_ he silently cheered, _go show them who's boss and prove them wrong._

* * *

But Ren was far from proving them wrong.

The rain felt like tiny, freezing pinpricks as it hit her skin. Her hair was drenched and stringy, sticking to her neck and forehead despite the hood she wore. Her clothes stuck to her body, making movement harder and more uncomfortable, like wading through thick mud.

But still she ran. She ran with no purpose or direction, only to get away from that courtyard, from the words that had been said there, from the strangers who had seen her true, raw emotions; her defeat.

The feel of heavy rain against her skin was the only thing keeping her grounded, stopping her from being consumed by her traitorous thoughts; Cynthia's words from the previous day had also resurfaced.

She soon came to a lone tree on an empty lawn, and she stopped running. She leant her arm on the tree for support as she caught her breath, a large droplet of water falling off the tip of her nose. She looked around almost feverishly, checking to see if she was alone or if anybody had tried to follow her; there was no one in sight.

Seeking solitude and comfort, Ren climbed into the boughs of the tree, its large leaves providing little shelter from the relentless rain. Ren released a large sigh through her nose as she closed her eyes, and lent back against a sturdy branch, wrapping her cloak around her despite its soggy state.

She soon found herself taking an unexpected nap, her fitful night catching up with her and the pitter patter of rain lulling her to sleep. But as she drifted off, doubt had begun to creep into her mind, and it would only grow as she slept.

Will _status affect my chances?_

When Ren awoke, the sun was once again shining and was low in the pink sky above. The dark clouds had disappeared, and Ren's clothes were mostly dry. Her stomach rumbled and so she finished off her provisions.

No one had spotted her as she had slept, the browns and greens of her clothes and hair blending into the tree perfectly, and there was no one around now. Ren climbed down to the lowest branch, jumping to the ground and landing lightly on the balls of her feet, and started to aimlessly wander the palace, her head slightly bowed and shoulders hunched as she splashed through the few remaining puddles.

Usually, Ren would love the smell of trees and plants after a heavy fall of rain, but she was in torment over Cynthia's words, and they consumed her.

' _ **Peasant scum.'**_

' _ **A**_ **nobody** _ **from**_ **nowhere** _ **-'**_

 _Will status really effect my chances?_ Ren thought, _The Court Blacksmith didn't seem like the kind of person who cares about stuff like that… But what do I know?_ Ren's fingers started to twist and pull at each other, _I don't know a thing about cities or how they work, let alone a Royal Palace. I wouldn't know the first thing about working here…_

' **You don't belong here.'**

 _Cynthia's right, I_ don't _belong here, surrounded by strangers…_

The sharp whistle of a nearby bird stopped Ren in her aimless shamble, and it broke her out of her gloomy thoughts. She turned towards the sound and found a small, jet black bird standing on top of a white marble bench. There were many of these benches dotted around the empty courtyard she had wandered into, but the bird continued to look at her, tilting its head and chirping as it hopped towards her. Ren blinked dumbly (not something she would look back on with any particular pride) and finally looked at where she was.

The final rays of the setting sun illuminated the courtyard Ren had danced in on Open Castle Day.

It seemed like so long ago now to Ren, and memories of her joy came flooding back to her. Brightly dressed ghosts seemed to dance and spin around her as she remembered, and they were soon joined by her memories of other people; of the dancers Kana and Shino, of the barkeeps Erisa and Maya, of the woman and her son Hitoshi who had given Ren a lantern, of the herbalist Higata, the cook Sakura, of the strange young man called Obi, who raised a shot glass to her, and even those two palace guards who helped her each morning at the gates.

Their kindness far outweighed those few negative people she had met. And Ren couldn't believe she had forgotten them.

' **You don't belong here.'** Cynthia's voice rang in her ears.

"Not yet." Ren breathed, and as she spoke she got louder and louder, her head raising to the sky, "One day, I _will_ belong here, and I will grow and learn until that day comes, no matter how long it takes! From the moment I set foot in this city I began growing, learning. Whether status matters or not I will do my _damn_ hardest in that forge and it will be the best work I've ever done!"

The bird next to her gave another chirp and flew off over the palace, Ren following its flight path in the sky until it disappeared from view. The sun was almost gone and the first stars were appearing in the sky; they filled her with determination, remembering her wish to them and how her parents could be looking at those same stars, cheering her on from afar; what she didn't know was that she had supporters in Wistal itself, Obi and Erisa, Kai and Shirra, and Higata. None had forgotten her.

As Ren headed towards the forge (she really hoped she wasn't late) she scoffed and shook her head, thinking:

 _I can't believe I let myself doubt the people here. That I doubted myself over something so_ stupid _. I let Cynthia's words get to me, but it_ won't _happen again, not as long as I have these people around me. I won't let them down._

She walked once again with a confident stride, her head held high and determination lighting a fire in her eyes.

* * *

The coals in the forge glowed white with heat and so did the metal.

Ren's cloak hung on a peg by the door and was replaced by a thick leather apron; they had been provided by Dai, the blacksmiths friend, to both Ren and the young man she was sharing the forge with.

But Ren didn't take any notice of the young man, and easily worked around him if they were ever using the same areas of the forge. She never really took in the grandeur of the palaces forge either; she had a job to do, and she was the most focused she had ever been.

She didn't even notice the stoic man in the corner, standing straight with his arms behind his back, watching her every move with a neutral expression. He would occasionally write something down in a small notebook, but he was always watching the two candidates.

The crackle of a fire, the pumping of bellows, the metallic ring of hammers striking metal, and the grinding of a blade edge against a whetstone. These sounds filled the forge as the sun set, Dai lighting several lamps as darkness fell.

For Ren those three hours flew by, but by the end she had completed a dagger she was proud off; nothing fancy, but it was sturdy and well made, ready to be used in any situation.

Dai thanked them for their time, tying name labels around the hilts of their daggers and dismissing them with a small, but friendly, smile.

Ren wiped the sweat from her forehead with the edge of her cloak, and welcomed the cool night air as she made her way to the Poets Gate; it was a sharp contrast to the hot, humid air of the forge. Once she got to the gate she saw that all of the other candidates were gathered there, the Court Blacksmith standing in front of them all.

"Congratulations," Otsu said, "You have all completed your exam. Tomorrow you do not need to be at the palace till the afternoon," there were a few murmurs of relief and gratitude from the candidates, "You all deserve a rest. We shall meet outside the interview area, and I hope you all have a restful evening."

With that Otsu strolled away and the group started to file through the gates, into the starlit night.

When Ren got back to ' _The Anchor Inn and Alehouse'_ she was immediately spotted by Erisa, who was walking around with tray full of beers balanced in one hand, serving people at their tables.

"How did it go?" Erisa called over the noise of the inn.

"I'll find that out tomorrow," Ren laughed, "But not till the afternoon, so you won't have to wake me up!"

"But I was just getting used to doing that!" Erisa complained, but laughter still followed her statement, "If I don't see you before then, good luck!"

"Thanks!" Ren said, going up the stairs and into her room.

Her boots and cloak were quickly discarded on the floor and Ren crashed onto the bed, looking up at the ceiling as moonlight streamed in through the window, the sounds of the alehouse below barely dulled by the wooden floor.

 _Tomorrow is the day,_ Ren thought, _I either achieve my dream, or have to try my luck somewhere else in Clarines._

With that she promptly fell asleep, emotionally and physically exhausted.

* * *

She woke late the next day to a church bell ringing and lazily got dressed, keeping her hair down today. The last signs that it had rained yesterday had all but disappeared in the morning sun, and Ren strolled down to the bakery to buy some cheese rolls.

There was a light breeze blowing and the sun was beating down on Wistal as Ren made her way up to the Poets Gate that afternoon, greeting the guards as she showed them her permission slip and smiling as they waved her through.

When she got to the lawn outside the interview area, Ren saw that there were already a few candidates standing around and chatting to each other. As they waited for everyone else to arrive, Ren noticed Cynthia and co. giving her dirty looks from the corner of her eyes, but decided to ignore them. Then Otsu and Dai arrived:

"Alright you lot, todays the day I announce my new apprentice," Otsu said, grabbing everyone's attention, "You will be told one by one whether you've got the job or not in the interview area. But you are _not_ to reveal to anyone whether you've succeeded or failed. You must then give me your permission slip, and leave the palace grounds."

There was a pause and then, "Right, let's get this underway. Suzu, you're up first." Otsu walked into the interview area, followed by Dai and a nervous Suzu.

Ren sat in the shade at the base of a nearby tree, and she was adjacent to the opening of the interview area as she waited, thinking:

 _Although Otsu's methods_ are _a little strange, they do seem to get the job done. Though I'm sure I'll be able to tell who got the apprenticeship by their expression alone…_

However, the longer Ren waited, the more nervous she got. Her feet were flat against the ground, knees raised with her elbows resting on them, and her foot began to tap a slow rhythm.

Ren noticed the first few rejects, evident through their body language:

 _Tap._

A woman in early twenties, head hung low and a silent tear rolling down her cheek as her arms hugged her chest.

 _Tap. Tap._

A young man in his late teens, shoulders hunched, brows furrowed and a slight sneer on his face as he looked back at the courtyard; an arrogant man, bitter in his failure and blaming the blacksmith for it.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

Ren soon spaced out, not really thinking of much, but her tapping continuing as more and more people went in and came out disappointed.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

She barely even registered Cynthia's indignant cry as she stormed away, her two friends following behind her (they had found out their result earlier) and trying to console her, Cynthia voicing her disbelief and anger all the way. Ren had hoped she would learn a lesson from this; but apparently not.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

Eventually Otsu and Dai emerged from the courtyard, Dai saying:

"Well, at least that's the hard bit out of the way."

"Mm…" Otsu hummed, "I hated letting go of all those people, disappointing them," he shook his head, looking down, "Especially the kids… I hope they don't give up on blacksmithing completely…"

"You did what you had too, Otsu," Dai reassured him, patting his uninjured shoulder, "But speaking of kids… where _is_ the final candidate?"

The two men looked around and spotted Ren sitting beneath her tree; she was the last one left on the lawn.

"You're up, Ren." Otsu called out.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

When they got no reply, the two men looked at each other with raised brows and wandered over to the girl's side, looking down at her curiously.

 _Tap. Tap._

"Ren?" Otsu called loudly.

"Ah!" Ren jumped, snapping back to reality and turning her head to look at them, finally registering their presence. She noticed their rather bemused but slightly humoured expressions and shot to her feet, saying "Yes?"

"It's time for your results." Otsu said, a smile on his face.

"Right." She said, a little flustered and embarrassed by being caught off guard.

As the two men turned to walk back into the courtyard, Ren finally noticed that the sun was much lower in the sky than before, and that there was no one else around; she realized she must have been zoned out all afternoon. She followed the blacksmiths a little numbly, thinking she must have missed that one person's joyous expression as they left the palace.

As she walked into the courtyard and sat down at the small, metal table, Ren was preparing herself for the eventuality that she had failed:

 _It won't be the end,_ she thought, _I could still find a job in Wistal. There must be plenty of blacksmiths who need apprentices, and if not here then there are plenty of other towns in Clarines I could go to-_

"Congratulations, Ren. You've passed the examination." Otsu said.

 _Wait… What!?_

"W-what?" Ren said, completely stunned and wanting to make sure she'd heard him right.

"You're the new Apprentice Court Blacksmith, Ren. Well done, you deserve it." Otsu reiterated, a wide smile spreading across his face.

"You should be proud, Ren. You performed excellently." Dai added after Ren only sat there with her mouth agape, expression dazed and shocked.

There was a long, stunned silence as Ren took in everything they had said, but then she exploded in gratitude, happiness and shock, her hands gesturing wildly as she babbled away:

"Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you! I can't believe it this is amazing, thank you so so much you have no idea what this means to me! I will not let you down I swear I am so excited thank you this is-"

Ren cut herself off, suddenly bowing respectively in her seat and clearing her throat, starting again in much calmer tone:

"I humbly thank you both for this opportunity, Otsu, Dai. I am honoured to have this chance to learn and work by your side."

"And I am honoured to teach you." Otsu said, patting her on the head and ruffling her hair lightly.

Ren looked up to see him now standing next to her, a wide grin on his bearded face. She subtly moved out of his touch as she turned her head; it was unfamiliar and a little uncomfortable for her at the moment, but Otsu didn't seem to notice nor care.

"I will meet you at the Poets Gate tomorrow, 9am sharp, to show you to your new accommodation; so don't forget to bring all of your belongings with you! After that, its straight to work, I'm afraid." He said, a deep, rumbling chuckle escaping his lips, "But tonight you can celebrate and rest! You've done well. Though I will need that permission slip of yours." And he held out his hand as Ren passed it over.

"Right, fancy a drink in the town?" Otsu asked, slapping his friend on the back as they left the courtyard.

"Always," Dai laughed, "One last drink before I return to my own forge. Can't get the same kind of ale back home, you know?"

"Oh yeah, there's nothing quite like a Wistal brew…"

The two blacksmiths conversation faded away, but Ren had hardly registered their words; she was still in a state of shock.

Ren was completely numb as she made her way out of the palace, all the way down through the town and until she finally had to stop at the harbour.

The salty sea breeze whipped her hair and cloak around her, stinging her cheeks and filling her ears as she watched the sun glitter on the vast blue ocean in front of her.

With a few deep breathes Ren's emotions came flooding back to her, a wide grin spreading across her face, eyes widening and chest heavy in elation. She punched the sky, looking up and shouting " _Yes!_ " with all her heart, her smile becoming so wide it almost touched her ears, the only witness the seagulls, flying high above her.

* * *

That evening Ren found herself sat at the bar of _'The Anchor Inn and Alehouse'_ , a celebratory pint of the inns famous ale in her hands. It was a fairly busy evening in the inn with loud, excited chatter filling every corner and people bustling about between overflowing tables.

Ren had written a letter to her parents, detailing her success, as soon as she had returned to the inn, and it was ready to be sent off to Tarrin in the morning.

"So this is your last night here then?" Erisa said, sounding a little disappointed as she cleaned a tankard.

"Yep," Ren replied, "I've got lodgings up at the palace grounds now."

"Well, be sure to visit." Erisa all but demanded, "It's rare we get such a talent _and_ a beauty in here." She finished with a wink, a smirk, and a giggle.

Ren simply laughed at her friend's antics, saying "I'll be sure to visit my favourite barmaid. And where else am I supposed to go for the best ale in town?" She lifted her tankard in cheers, and Erisa raised the one she was cleaning as Ren took a swig of the infamous beer.

"Hey!" Erisa shouted, looking at something behind Ren, "What did I say about no bringing chickens into the bar?! Dad! They've done it _again!_ " She raced around the side of the bar, tankard still clutched in hand and looking like a woman on a mission as she strode towards the commotion.

Ren laughed and smiled at the craziness of the alehouse, and took another drink from her tankard; she'll be _very_ happy in Wistal.

 _Tomorrow is the start of my new beginning,_ she thought, _my first day at Wistal Palace._

With that thought in mind Ren raised her tankard into the air, cheering anyone who she may meet in the near future, and those she had already met; after all, without them, she probably wouldn't be here.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm so sorry this took longer than expected. When I got home I got very distracted by Voltron and Fairy Tail and life. I hope this is worth the wait, and I hope I can get a chapter out each week, however I just realised how much summer work I have and it's already August. Yay.**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed and followed! What do you guys think of the new cover photo thingy? I did it myself (more procrastination, ops).  
Review Replies:**

 _ **LilyAllycia:**_ **I did think about making the smaller guy the Court Blacksmith, but he is actually one anyway, he just doesn't work at the palace. And I'll let you in on a secret: I'm aspiring to be a silversmith, and have some experience with working with metal myself. And you definitely need to be strong, let me tell you that! Hope you enjoyed the interactions in this chapter!**

 ** _VallarMorghulis11:_ Thank you for your review! I never created Ren because I thought Shirayuki was weak, and she is not meant to overshadow Shirayuki because of her strength, much like Kiki doesn't. They are all strong characters and they all have weaknesses. That's my belief, anyway. And, you'll laugh at this (you probably won't) but when I was originally planning this story... I did plan Obi and Ren to become a couple.  
However, I have many reasons for changing this part of my plan:  
1) This story's focus was never going to be on romance, mainly because I don't think I could write it and also because I value the friendship aspect over everything else.  
2) I realised that there weren't enough stories, fanfiction or otherwise, with close, purley platonic, malexfemale relationships. I want to correct that and I think it's important.  
So I apologise for that, but my mind will not change. You can still ship them as much as you want, I'm not going to stop you, I'm just saying it will never be canon in my story.  
Sorry for the rant, and I hope it doesn't put you off reading my story, but I just wanted to put that out there.**

 **Thank you to everyone who reads my story, and whether you like what you read or not...**

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

 **-Limegreenarcher**


	7. Chapter 7: The Burn

Ren was awake bright and early the next morning, bouncing on her toes as she impatiently waited at the Poets Gate, her bags slung over her shoulder. The guards once again greeted her, but the blond, Kai, looked desperate to ask Ren a question, fidgeting where he stood and mouth twisting this way and that. Finally, he quickly said:

"So you're the new Apprentice Blacksmith then?"

The question pulled Ren from her thoughts and she paused in her bouncing, saying, "Yeah, I am." She was unable to stop the giddy smile that spread across her face at that statement, as the result still hadn't sunk in completely.

"Oh, I knew you could do it!" Kai practically squealed, now bouncing himself as he looked over at his fellow guard, "Isn't that right Shiira?"

"Mhm," Shiira hummed and nodded, saying, "This might surprise you, but we were actually cheering for you since you arrived on your first day of examination. I don't know if you remember us though, you were in such a hurry." He finished with a small chuckle.

"No I… I do remember you... You guys helped me find my way to the orientation room! Thank you so much for that! I would've been late if it weren't for you." Ren said, her eyes widening in realization.

"It was no problem!" Kai said; he reminded Ren of an excitable child, and she found it almost endearing, in a strange sort of way.

"We're happy to have helped," Shiira said; he was almost the complete opposite of Kai, calmer and much more subdued, and Ren could see the sincerity in his words. "And congratulations on your position, Miss…"

"Ren." She supplied, stepping forwards to shake his hand, "And thank you, I'm _very_ excited to work at the palace, Mr…"

"Shiira, Shiira Eigan," he replied as he shook her hand, "And my fellow gatekeeper is Kai Ulkir. He can get very excitable…" he finished apologetically.

"I don't mind," Ren laughed, "I'm just surprised you guys were rooting for me, seeing as you didn't even know my name."

Shiira's answer came as a surprise to Ren: "We were curious about you."

" _And_ you didn't seem stuck up like some of those _other_ candidates." Kai added.

Ren's brows furrowed slightly at that; it wasn't hard to guess who Kai was talking about.

"So we silently cheered you on in the hopes of meeting you properly, when you came to work here." Shiira said.

But before Ren could reply, the Court Blacksmith arrived, lumbering through the gates at 9:13am; the previous night's drinking had made him later than intended, though he was somehow still joyful and wide awake.

"Good morning everyone!" he said, "Ah, you remembered your belongings Ren! Good good, we won't have to go back and get them. Now follow me and I'll show you to your new accommodations." He then turned back through the gate, gesturing for Ren to follow him.

She waved goodbye to Kai and Shiira, hoisting up the bags on her shoulder and taking a deep breath as she walked through the grand gateway; it felt more intimidating than before, though Ren couldn't work out why.

Her accommodations turned out to be an average sized bedroom with a small attached bathroom, similar rooms lining the second floor hallway of the same building; a small, two-storey complex, hidden in the gardens behind the palace.

There were many of these buildings scattered about, and they housed all of the palace staff. A few kitchens and communal areas could be found within each building, and they were frequently used by many of the staff in the evenings after their shifts were over; though they were always on call, ready to fulfil their duties whenever they were needed, even in the middle of the night.

Ren's room was clean and cosy, two windows letting in plenty of light as she set down her belongings. A desk with a gas lamp sat underneath one of the windows, and an empty bookcase was set into an adjacent wall, a single bed standing next to it.

 _It's nothing special,_ Ren thought, _but it's warm and safe, and it's my home from now on. I'm sure I'll be comfortable here. As long as I'm not next to that old kitchen hag, that is…_

"Right, here's your key… and here's your Palace Identification," Otsu said, handing the items over to her, "I'll give you an hour to settle in, and then I'll see you in the forge." He finished with a smile, Ren watching as he squeezed back through the doorway, being careful of his broken arm as he sucked in a deep breath.

Ren put the room key in one of the pouches at her belt, and looked at her identification necklace as she placed it around her neck. The long, leather cord came down to just below her breast, the delicate gold frame of the rectangular pendant ending in a point, with a diamond shaped bead on the end and the Royal Wisteria symbol etched above it. The engraved glass in the centre had a slight grey tinge to it, reflecting the coals and metals she worked with all day.

Ren smiled, pride swelling in her heart; she was here at last, and it was official.

* * *

The grey glass of an identification necklace flashed in the sunlight as it swung from side to side, its owner hurrying down yet _another_ corridor. Ren clutched her arm as she hopelessly looked down another intersection, turning left after some deliberation; it had been a week since she had begun her apprenticeship at the palace, and she was completely lost, having not left the forge much in that time.

Yet she had been forced out of the forge in order to find the Court Herbalist's because she had burnt her forearm and wrist. However, she hadn't come across the building whilst exploring the palace during her examination, only one of the greenhouses, and that wouldn't be of any help to her right now.

Her arm burning and getting redder by the second, Ren gave up, slumping onto the low wall of an enclosed courtyard, staring at her burn in irritation. Fortunately, Otsu had immediately given her a damp cloth to ease the pain slightly, but Ren could tell that this burn was likely to leave another mark if it didn't get _professional_ treatment soon.

"Great job Ren," she muttered to herself resentfully, "This is a great way to start a new job, isn't it? Burning yourself like an idiot…"

Her continued muttering drew the attention of a young man lounging in one of the courtyards trees. Obi looked over at the figure sitting with his back to him, their hair curled into a loose bun and the straps of a leather apron tied around their neck and lower back. He lent backwards from his perch, stretching his neck as he tried to get a look at the persons face; when he managed to catch a glimpse, he recognised it immediately, and a quick look at the green curls hidden within the loose bun confirmed it.

Obi had heard about Ren's victory through the rumours that had spread throughout the palace staff; whispers about the new apprentice blacksmith with half brown, half green hair; murmurs about the girl who wore a mysterious, hooded cloak around the palace, disappearing into the forest in the late hours of dusk, not returning until the moon was high in the night sky.

And whilst these rumours weren't as numerous as Shirayuki's (she was friends with Prince Zen, after all) they were still abundant and could be heard wherever you went in the palace. And the only reason Ren hadn't heard them herself was because she had barely left the forge.

Obi had of course recognised who they were whispering about, and had simply smirked every time he had heard them; it seemed as though Ren was earning a reputation for herself already, whether she intended to or not.

He had released a quiet chuckle at the news of her success, silently congratulating her and wishing her all the best at the palace; he knew she could handle the rumours, and hoped life here would live up to her expectations.

Obi's cat-like eyes flashed with mischief as he watched Ren, and he swiftly leapt down from the tree, landing silently in a low crouch on the soft grass below. He stealthily crept towards her, her muttering never ceasing even as he stood behind her, leaning in so his mouth was millimetres away from her ear. Obi waited a few seconds before saying loudly:

"Watcha doin' Ren?"

" _Ah!_ " Ren released a small, surprised shout as she jumped up, spinning on the spot to face her assailant, still clutching her throbbing arm to her chest. What she found was a young man a few years older than her, only a little bit taller too, standing on the other side of the low wall, hands clasped behind his back and an innocent expression on his face as he looked of too the left.

Ren slumped when she saw who it was, saying, "Obi? What are you doing here? And _how_ did you get here?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"There's no need to worry Miss," Obi chuckled, smiling as he looked at her, "I work as a messenger here in the palace."

"I wasn't _worried_ , just suspicious…" Ren said.

 _Okay, so_ maybe _she was just a_ little _bit worried about Obi, should he be discovered by the palace guards. But he didn't need to know that. It'd only boost his ego anyway… probably…_

Ren not looking entirely convinced by his explanation, Obi decided to change the subject before she could question him further, asking curiously:

"Did you burn your arm?"

He pointed to the offending limb which was wrapped in a damp cloth, and Ren looked down at it, saying with irritation, "I burnt it in the forge. I wasn't paying attention and it was a stupid mistake, so now I have to go to the Court Herbalist's but I have no idea how to get there! I've been wandering around for at least thirty minutes and I'm completely lost!"

She finished with an annoyed sigh, still looking down at the painful burn; the cloth wasn't helping much now, and her skin felt like it was on fire.

Obi studied her for a little while, the mischievous glint returning to his eyes as he said, "I could take you there."

"Really?" Ren said, head snapping up to look at him, "I'd really appreciate that, thanks Obi. I owe you one."

"I'll keep that mind." He said with a grin.

Suddenly he hopped over the low wall, picking Ren up bridal style with one arm hooked under her knees and the other supporting her back.

" _Hey!_ " she shouted, a little panicked by the physical contact, "What are doing?! Put me down _right now_ Obi! I can walk there just fine, the burn is on my arm, not my leg-"

" _Relax_ , Miss," Obi said, looking down at her and smirking, "It'll be faster this way, and that looks like a serious burn which needs treatment as soon as."

" _Obi-_ "

That was all Ren managed to get out before he sprinted down the corridor, causing Ren to hold onto her burnt arm so it didn't get knocked about too much and onto Obi's shirt from fear of falling.

Obi raced through the palace hallways, keeping a firm grip on Ren as he leapt over low walls and dashed up staircases, taking the quickest route he knew to the Court Herbalist's. Soon they reached the top of a staircase, and Obi raced towards one of the window-like openings at the end of the second floor corridor; a courtyard could be seen below them, with a small cluster of trees around its edges.

Ren's eyes widened as she realized just what Obi was intending to do, and her protests increased tenfold, her grip on his shirt tightening as his foot left the ledge of the window-like opening; they were suddenly flying through the air, a few strands of Ren's hair escaping her bun as the wind ripped past them.

Her cries of protest could be heard by the people in a nearby study, and if Ren hadn't been so focused on holding onto Obi, she may have noticed that they were currently traversing across the same courtyard she and Cynthia had argued in.

Zen, Kiki and Mitsuhide looked out of the large windows of the study, and could just about spot a figure leaping through the trees on the other side of the courtyard, carry someone else in their arms. They watched as the two steadily made their way upwards, hearing a woman's protest of:

"Put me down! What happens if you drop me _eeeeeeee!"_ The two had just disappeared over the rooftop, the girl's objection turning into a shrill shout as they made their way downwards on the other side.

 _There's only one person that could be…_ The three friends thought, a little despairingly.

"Obi seems to be spending his free time well…" Zen said, a vein on his temple starting to pulse slightly in irritation.

"I wonder who that girl was." Kiki said, still looking at where the two had disappeared from their sight.

"Whoever it was…" Mitsuhide said, releasing a short chuckle, "I think Obi's flirtation skills need a bit of work."

"It's not like yours are any better." Kiki said, casually turning to put the book she was holding back on its shelf, leaving behind a stuttering and hurt Mitsuhide and a snickering Zen.

Meanwhile, Obi and Ren had arrived at the Court Herbalists, Obi gently dropping Ren in through Ryuu and Shirayuki's window, then climbing in himself.

Whilst the friends greeted each other, Obi ruffling Ryuu's hair, the stranger among them dusted off and straightened out her clothes, grumbling how Obi "didn't have to carry her" and smacking the back of his head lightly; not enough to seriously hurt, but enough to get her point across.

"But your arm needs treatment and you were lost," Obi tried to reason, rubbing the back of head a little sheepishly, "And I just happen to know the best herbalist's there are." He grinned at Ryuu and Shirayuki, who were a little confused about what was going on.

"That doesn't excuse picking someone up and carry them across _rooftops_ without their permission. I can still walk just fine." Ren reprimanded, glaring at him slightly.

There were a few awkward seconds of silence whilst Obi tried to avoid the glare he was being sent, Shirayuki more than confused now; she wasn't sure who this strange girl was, but she didn't seem happy with Obi, that's for sure.

"You have a burn on your arm." Ryuu said nonchalantly, looking pointedly at Ren's red forearm, which was only slightly covered by the damp cloth now.

"Oh!" Shirayuki said, now focused on her patient, analysing the wound and discussing treatments with Ryuu. Soon they were preparing the correct poultice, and whilst they did so Shirayuki asked Ren how she did it.

"I burnt it on some hot embers…" Ren grumbled, refusing to look at anyone in her embarrassment, "I'm the Court Blacksmiths Apprentice and was helping him make the ceremonial swords for the new soldiers, but I put one of the in-progress swords down too hard in the hearth... hot embers flew everywhere, landed on my skin… and next thing I know I have blotchy burn marks on my arm."

"It looks painful…" Shirayuki said, now starting to apply the poultice to Ren's burn, "I've seen people cry from these kinds of burns before, but you don't seem too bothered by it."

"Yeah, well…" Ren said, cringing slightly at the pain caused by contact on the burn, "Working in a forge can get you lots of burns, ow, so I'm kinda used to it, ow."

"I didn't know the Court Blacksmith had an apprentice." Ryuu said, putting the herbs back on their shelves.

"I started just a week ago, ow," Ren said, "And only one person could be chosen out of all the candidates, so it's just me. Luckily…" she murmured the last part, though everyone heard it anyway.

"All done." Shirayuki said, smiling brightly at Ren as she stepped back.

"Wow, thank you." Ren replied, looking down at the neat bandage now wrapped around her forearm and wrist; she'd never had her burns treated by a proper herbalist before, and the burning sensation had shrunken significantly thanks to the poultice.

"No problem. I'm Shirayuki, and this is Ryuu." She said, shaking Ren's hand and gesturing to the quiet boy who was sitting at his bench.

"Ren." The blacksmith replied.

However, when she looked over at Ryuu, Ren finally noticed how young he was, and how small.

"How old are you, Ryuu? If you don't mind me asking."

"12." He said, preparing himself for the usual spiel of disbelief that was sure to come.

"And you're an apprentice here?"

"Er… No, I'm… er…" He mumbled, looking down at his feet.

"Actually, Shirayuki's _Ryuu's_ apprentice. Half pint over there is a fully fledged Court Herbalist." Obi said, coming to the young boys rescue.

Ren blinked a couple times as she stared at Ryuu, the boy becoming more anxious by the second, before she finally said:

"That's… _awesome!_ " Ren rushed over to his side, asking questions a mile a minute, "You must be a great herbalist, working in the Royal Court at such a young age! How long have you been here? When did you decide to be a Court Herbalist? How long did you study for? Do you know every plant there is? Is it hard to teach someone older than you? You must have extraordinary talent." She had a huge grin on her face, in absolute awe of the young boy; his achievement was such an inspiration to her.

It was only when she heard the snickers of Obi and Shirayuki behind her that she noticed the shocked and overwhelmed expression on Ryuu's face.

 _Oops,_ Ren thought, _I got a bit overexcited there… poor kid doesn't know what hit him._

"Heh… Sorry." Ren said, taking a step back and twiddling her fingers sheepishly.

"It's okay…" Ryuu said, having recovered from the unexpected admiration this older girl had expressed.

"Ryuu isn't used to that kind of reaction," Shirayuki said, her giggles receding, "People normally just don't believe him."

As Ren turned to face Shirayuki, she finally noticed her bright red hair (she had been distracted, okay?) and she made the connection. Her whole body tensing up, she held her breath and a faint blush dusted her cheeks.

 _She wasn't a stand-in actress,_ Ren thought, _she's an Apprentice Court Herbalist._

"Oh my god I am so sorry." Ren said, "I didn't realise it was you. Please forgive me." She finished with a small bow to Shirayuki, wishing for the ground to just swallow her up where she stood.

"For what?" Shirayuki asked, blinking a few times at the girl in front of her.

"We've actually met before… on Open Castle Day I complimented your hair, which was covered at the time, and I ran away before you could reply. It was rude and disrespectful of me, and I apologise." Ren explained, still bowed.

"You don't need to apologise for anything," Shirayuki said, a soft smile on her face and hint of sternness in her tone, "It was nice to get a sincere compliment from someone. I was actually going to thank you but you disappeared into the crowd so quickly! So thank you. And stand up! You look a little ridiculous, bowing for no reason." She laughed good naturedly, hands clasped in front of her.

"Right…" Ren said, straightening up and twisting her fingers as she laughed nervously, "I'm relieved to hear you weren't offended, though."

"Of course I wasn't! I've dealt with lot worse because of my hair, a compliment was a nice change." Shirayuki smiled and shrugged.

"So, how long have you been an apprentice here, Shirayuki?" Ren asked after a brief pause.

"Quite a while now… Though my exam still feels like it was only yesterday." She laughed.

"Ha, I know how you feel… I still feel like I'm in a dream right now, that I'll wake up one day and it'll all be gone…" She sighed before asking, "How many people got in during your exam? I met an apprentice herbalist called Higata during my examination, did he take the exam the same time as you did?"

"Yeah, we were the only two to succeed, actually," Shirayuki said, "I got locked in one of the greenhouses overnight by someone too, but I'm still here now." She laughed at the memory fondly.

Ren laughed with her, saying, "Trouble with other candidates… I know that feeling…"

"What happened during your exam?" Shirayuki asked.

"Oh," Ren said, noticing her slip up, "I just had an argument with some of the other candidates, nothing serious really."

Obi, whose attention had previously been on some open books lying on a bench near him, now listened in to the girl's conversation, remembering the argument to be much more serious than Ren was letting on.

"Well, luckily for us, _you_ were the one who was chosen." Shirayuki said, noticing the slightly pained look that had crossed Ren's eyes, "It means I finally got to thank you for that compliment."

"And I wouldn't have been able to meet you properly if I hadn't got the job," Ren said, the small smile on her lips now disappearing, her head bowing as she said, "Though, I'm not really sure _why_ I was chosen… There were much better candidates than me, I'm sure… My burn is evidence enough of that." She clutched her burnt arm to her chest, shrinking slightly.

However, before Shirayuki or Obi could reassure Ren, the door to the room slid open, revealing the large silhouette of a lumbering man.

"Because you have talent Ren!" A rumbling voice exclaimed from the doorway, all heads snapping to the source in surprise, "Your determination, your eagerness to learn new things, your extraordinary skills in the forge… How could I _not_ give you the job?!" Otsu squeezed through the doorway, ruffling Ren's hair with his good arm as he said, "You were the best candidate out there, and I have not _once_ regretted my decision. We all make mistakes, after all."

Ren backed away from Otsu's hand, shooing it away like a fly; he seemed to be making a habit out of the action. Ren was still in shock about what he had said, but the others all had smiles on their faces; the blacksmiths timing couldn't have been better.

Otsu continued, releasing a deep laugh and pointing to his broken arm as he said, "I mean, look at _me!_ I've been out of commission for weeks! It's been killing me, not being able to do anything! But you're keeping the forge _alive_ Ren! You are a vital part of this palace now."

"I-I know that…" Ren said, now embarrassed that there were so many witnesses, "I just felt so stupid for making such a simple mistake…"

"What's done is done. Besides, it's all fixed now." Otsu said, a wide smile on his face, "Although, you were taking so long I decided to come look for you."

"Oh, right… I er… Got lost." Ren said, shrugging, "But Obi… _helped_ me find my way here." She looked over at him pointedly, but the young man just smirked in return. "I guess I should get back to work then." She was just about to say her goodbyes when Otsu said:

"Actually, I have some liquor to collect from the Chief Herbalist, so you can stay here a few minutes longer." He then swiftly left the room, leaving behind some very confused teens. Otsu had had a strange look on his face when he had seen the two girls and Obi standing near each other and interacting, like he knew some special secret. But they soon dismissed it as the silence stretched on, Ryuu having returned to his work.

"Hey Ren," Obi said, "You never did tell me if your hair was natural."

"Your hair?" Shirayuki asked, looking between the two.

"Yeah, its green on the ends," Ren said, turning around so Shirayuki could see it, "And no, it's not natural. I actually dye it with some crushed plant dye."

"Really?!" Shirayuki said as Ren turned back to face her, "I knew certain plants were used for dyeing, but I didn't know you could dye your hair with them!"

"Mhm. My dad would teach me about the plants that grow in the forest surrounding my village, but my mum discovered that they could be used to dye my hair." She laughed as she remembered her dads face when he came home from the forge to find his daughter with half green hair, their kitchen floor and her mums hands also dyed green, like the forest had exploded inside their house.

"What plants do you use? It must be a mixture of blue and yellow dye, right?"

"Yeah! I mix the dyes made from the Woad plant, which produces a blue dye, and a plant called Dyer's Greenweed, which gives you a yellow dye."

"That's amazing! Ryuu! Did you know about this?"

Obi watched in slight fascination as the girls excitedly talked about plants and the different kinds of dyes they produced, Ryuu sometimes being dragged into the conversation; it seemed they had bonded instantly over the subject, and whilst Obi knew the extent of Shirayuki's love of plants, he hadn't expected Ren to have the same kind of enthusiasm.

 _She's just full of surprises,_ Obi thought as he continued to watch from the corner, an amused and content smile on his face.

Otsu soon reappeared at the door, some bottles now clutched in his hands as he said, "You ready to go back to the forge Ren?"

The pair were broken from their conversation, Ren reply with a less than enthusiastic "Yeah."

"I'll wait for you outside." Otsu again left with that strange look on his face, like he was smiling at something no one else could see, sharing a private joke with himself that he would never share with anyone else.

Ren said her goodbyes, ruffling Ryuu's hair as she passed him.

 _Damn,_ she thought, _have I already picked that up from Otsu?_

"It was nice seeing you again, Obi." Ren said as she walked through the door, looking over her shoulder as she waved to them. "Hope to see you all soon."

Obi and Shirayuki waved back at her, Ryuu quietly saying goodbye as Ren disappeared from view. But it wasn't long before she poked her head back around the doorframe, saying:

"Not that I want to hurt myself again and have to come back here to get it treated, it would just be nice to see you guys again sometime…" she trailed off awkwardly, her gesturing hands just about visible to them, "O-kay, well… Thanks for the bandage! See ya!"

Obi and Shirayuki laughed as they once again called out their goodbyes, Ren finally leaving the Court Herbalist's building and heading back to the forge. Obi then stretched his arms over his head lazily, arching his back as a few things clicked and popped.

"I should get going too." He said, going over to the window, "The Master is probably wondering where I am. See ya half pint, Miss." He nodded to Shirayuki before jumping back out of the window he had come through.

"Bye Obi!" Shirayuki called. She stood by the window for a few moments, and some pieces of the conversation they had just had resurfaced in her mind; particularly things Ren and Obi had said.

" _You never did tell me if your hair was natural."_

" _It was nice seeing you again, Obi."_

"Again?" Shirayuki asked, looking over at Ryuu. But the boy simply shrugged, uninterested and immersed in his work.

* * *

When Obi returned to Zen's study he found that they were all looking at him with slightly amused expressions, though Zen did look a little annoyed by his tardiness.

"Whaat?" Obi asked a little warily.

"We think your flirtation skills need some work." Kiki said, straight to the point.

"We saw you carrying a girl across the courtyard," Mitsuhide explained as Obi only looked confused by Kiki's statement.

"And she didn't sound too happy about it," Zen laughed, "Whatever happened to asking a girl out to dinner first?"

"Yeah, cus that's what you did." Mitsuhide muttered, looking to the side as Zen growled at him, his brows furrowed in anger.

Obi blinked a few times as the two men argued; he had forgotten his route took them past the study. A smirk soon found its way onto his face though, saying "You would _know_ if I was flirting, Master. My talents are much better than that."

"Oh really?" Zen laughed, Mitsuhide's comment forgotten for now, "In all seriousness though Obi, who was she?" he asked curiously.

"And why were you carrying her?" Kiki added, clearly unimpressed.

"She was someone in need of help and was lost, so I simply showed her the way to the herbalists." Obi vaguely replied, shrugging one shoulder.

"By carrying her across the roofs?" Mitsuhide said disbelievingly.

"It was the fastest way." Obi said, shrugging again.

"Mhmm." They all hummed in unison, turning back to their work and clearly not believing Obi, but dropping the subject for now.

Obi simply sighed as he leant his back against the wall by the balcony doors, looking out into the afternoon sun and leaving the conversation as it stood. He'd only decided to carry her to see her reaction and get a laugh out of it, but having seen the panic that had flooded her eyes, Obi decided he wouldn't be doing something like that again, not without Ren's permission.

 _It was strange though_ , he thought, _the panic was only there when I first picked her up, not when we were moving. Sure she was shouting a lot, but it wasn't the same kind of fear…_

Obi continued to ponder this for a while, but decided it would just have to be something he asked her himself; whenever he next saw her, anyway.

* * *

 **A/N: Ah, so the moment of truth has finally arrived: can I write cannon characters accurately or will they end up OOC? Hopefully not the latter, but let me know if that happens! This chapter is shorter than the rest, and there's a lot of dialogue, but I hope you guys enjoyed it none the less! As always thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed, it makes me smile so much. Like, I will read a review 10 times during the day I get it because it just makes me smile, and I do a little dance when I see someone has taken the time to write a review. I'm not kidding, I genuinely do that.**

 **Review Replies:**

 ** _LilyAllycia:_ Funny you should mention a redemption arc... but that would be _way_ in the future. So something to look forward too?**

 _ **ImagineNation (Guest):**_ **I mean, who doesn't love Obi? I, personally, think there should be more of him (which is why i write so much off him). And how did you think Ren would mirror Shirayuki's trial? Was it the hair thing? If it is my reasons for Ren having not as much trouble as Shirayuki is that its only half of her hair that's green. And whilst it is a strange colour, it is a forest green, not as bright as Shirayuki's apple red. She still gets some unwanted attention because of it, and as you now know there are rumours spreading about her in the palace, but bear in mind she's lived in an isolated village all her life, so not many people go through there, making her an unknown. Hope that clears it up?  
I also sometimes wonder what would happen if Ren and Obi got together, I've even daydreamed about scenarios which'll never be written, so please, do carry on imagining! Tbh, i'd quite like to hear the things you guys come up with, it'd be interesting from a writers perspective.**

 **Finally... you guys are going to _love_ me (by which i mean your not going to at all) cus I'm without a laptop for another week! Woo! Not only that, but I'm here to give you the exciting news that I like to drag things out! Basically my plans are thus: Chapter 11 is when Ren finally joins the group for good. Exciting right? That's not to say there wont be any long interactions with the cannon characters (there will be, I promise). So... please stick with me, I just don't want their friendship to happen over night (believe me I know it often doesn't).**

 **So whether you liked what you read or not...**

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

 **-Limegreenarcher**


	8. Chapter 8: The Stables

After working non-stop on the soldier's ceremonial swords for two weeks, Otsu and Ren could finally get some rest. They'd completed the order on time, despite the setbacks of their injuries (Ren wouldn't let her burn affect her, seeing as Otsu's injury was _much_ worse, but she _did_ have to take some time off in order to get her arm re-bandaged by Shirayuki).

Finally the usual order of things in the forge could resume, and Ren got to wonder around the castle more when she wasn't working; she now knew her way around like the back of her hand, and it felt like she'd been here for years.

Ren was currently on her way to the Court Stables, the ever-present cloak hanging on her shoulders, carrying a box of some old, polished halters and some new ones that Otsu had finished that morning.

She was happy to be out in the warm sunshine and excited to visit the Court Stables; she had walked past it before, but hadn't had the time to go say hello and check things out for herself.

She was just walking along the side of the stables, about to round the corner to the entrance, when she heard an alarmed shout from that very direction:

"Everybody stay back!"

Ren paused for only a moment in confusion, but then strode on with more purpose in her step.

What Ren saw happening in front of the Court Stables made her freeze in shock.

Three large ropes were attached to a struggling stallions halter, and three men were holding onto these ropes for dear life. A small crowd of who Ren could only assume were stablehand's were gathered in a wide semicircle in front of the stable doors, unsure of what to do as they watched the wild stallion buck and pull, trying to get away from the people who were futilely trying to drag him back into the stables.

The sounds of desperate whinnying and exhausted grunts filled the air, accompanied by the pounding of hoofs on hard ground, clouds of dust flying up and distorting the earth beneath everyone.

Suddenly a rope was pulled free from one of the stablehand's grasp; he looked to be the youngest, and he desperately reached for the rope as it flew away from him, trying to grab it even as the horse continued to struggle in front of him.

Eventually another rope was pulled free, the large, muscled stallion gaining the upper hand as his struggles increased in their ferocity; Ren continued to watch from her position behind the small crowd, her body remaining frozen.

A fight for dominance was happening between the stallion and the last stablehand; he looked to be the strongest of the three, and his feet had made deep grooves in the ground where he had rooted himself to the spot, remaining strong and unwavering as the horse struggled in his grasp.

But even he couldn't hold on as the stallion reared back, towering above them all and making them cower in fear before he crashed back down, twisting his head away; the final rope was pulled free, leaving the horse to do as he pleased.

But Ren saw what no one else saw in that moment when the horse came crashing back down to earth; she watched as it leaned forward, its hind legs and muscles tensing as its hooves began to leave the ground - it was going to buck.

The world suddenly slowed for Ren. She saw every piece of dust as it flew high above the ground; every strand of hair in that horses mane as it tossed its head; every bead of sweat on the stablehand's heads. And she saw the oblivious, young stablehand, who stood in the direct path of the horses soon to be buck as it turned in his direction.

Ren's instincts took over, and she dropped the box, paying no attention to the resounding crash at her feet. She felt her body come back to life as she sucked in a deep breath, her heart pumping the blood in her veins like a river speeding its way through a mountain pass.

She raced forwards, frantically pushing her way through the gawking crowd and towards the boy that was so close to her; yet with the slight resistance caused by the crowd, Ren felt like he was miles away.

Ren shoved her way through any small gap she could find, and after what seemed like an eternity to her, she broke free of any barriers, almost stumbling in her haste.

Her limbs felt like they were made of lead, going in slow-motion as she made her way to the still oblivious boy.

 _I've got to go faster,_ Ren thought, _I have to make it in time! And why is everything so slow?!_

The gap was closing, but not fast enough; time suddenly sped back up again as Ren cried:

" _Look out!"_

The boys head turned, his eyes widening in fear and mouth opening in a scream that would never come as he realised too late what the horse in front of him was doing.

The stallion's hind legs began to straighten out, hooves heading straight for the boys head; there was nothing he could do, no time to run. It was all too late. His life was about to end.

Suddenly he was thrown to the side, a body larger than his tackling him to the ground, the person's green cloak and hair flying about them as the horse's hooves sailed just over their heads; it had been too close for anyone's liking.

They landed on the packed earth with loud _thud_ , both grunting loudly from the bruising impact as they rolled across the hard ground a few times.

"Are you alright?" Ren asked, looking at the boy next to her, thankful she'd made it on time and holding herself up on her elbows, her body protesting after the sudden jar it had just experienced.

"Urrgh… yeah, I-I think so…" The boy replied, only just starting to move from his position on his back.

"Good," Ren said, "Now get to safety, I'm going to go help them."

"Huh? Wait!" The boy cried, sitting up and reaching out a hand to Ren's receding back as she raced towards the stallion once again.

It had been facing off with the other two stablehand's, snorting and shaking its head as it tried to find an opening to escape. But its freedom was being obstructed and the horse frantically turned this way and that, his stomping hooves like the beat of a drum.

Ren saw the opening just as the stallion did, and she wasted no time in getting there; the horse's brief pause of victory allowed Ren to block its only path as it prepared to bolt.

She stood strong and steady before the horse, calmness and confidence rolling of her in waves despite the situation that had just occurred mere seconds before.

Slowly, with her arms outstretched and palms open in front of her, Ren began to walk towards the untamed beast, talking in quiet, soothing tones:

"It's alright, nobody's going to hurt you… There's no need to be scared… We're all friends here… I've even got a treat for you." Ren slowly reached into one of her belt pouches, watching the stallion the whole time as he snorted and stomped his front hooves at her. She retrieved a sugar cube and held it on an open palm, showing it clearly to the horse as she neared him; she'd thrown some in a pouch as a treat for the horses before she'd left, and they were coming in more use than Ren could have anticipated.

"See? It's just a yummy sugar cube. You must have had one of these before, right?" Ren now stood before the horse, who was relatively calm and had only backed away a little bit when she had neared, though now he looked at the sweet morsel in her palm with interest.

Fortunately for Ren, and the other stablehand's, the stallion seemed to have an affinity for sugar cubes, for as soon as it sniffed the morsel it quickly gobbled it up. The stallion then began gently nudging the pouch on Ren's waist that contained more, his tail swishing as he gently blew air out of his nose.

The whole area was silent apart from the soft chirp of birds and the content sounds of the calm stallion. Everyone was staring at Ren as she stroked the horse's muzzle, smiling as everyone else was shocked silent, mouths open and eyes wide.

It was the Chief Stablehand who recovered first, yelling to the small crowd behind him:

"Alright everyone, back to work! Those horses won't feed themselves!"

His order was received by a few shouts of "Yes Chief!" but also a few groans of protest; they were all still amazed by Ren, and wanted to find out more, though they begrudgingly obeyed their boss.

Ren recognised the Chief Stablehand as the final man to have lost their rope to the stallion, and she recognised his voice as the one she'd heard earlier warning everyone to stay back.

She was soon distracted though by the boy she had rescued, who had retreated to the front of the crowd but was now running towards her, saying:

"I can't believe you've tamed him! That's incredible!"

However, he had stopped just short of Ren because as he had neared, the stallion beside her had lowered his head, snorting and stomping his hoof threateningly at the young man.

Ren, gently stroking the horses muzzle to calm him down, asked, "Does he give you a lot of trouble then?"

A laugh came from nearby, and the two turned to see the Chief Stablehand and the other man who had been holding onto a rope now walking towards them.

"Trouble?" The Chief Stablehand laughed, "This stallions been the very definition of trouble since the moment we bought him! None of the Court Stablehand's have been able to tame the beast for two years! Turns out all we needed were some sugar cubes to help us out! Though I think _you_ have a lot to do with it as well Miss." He finished with a smile as they stopped in front of her.

"Thank you, but… If he's so much trouble why did you buy him in the first place?" Ren asked, confused and still holding on to the stallions halter; how'd they'd got _that_ on him she'd never know.

This time the other man spoke, shaking his head at himself, "Ah well, you see Miss, this stallion was fairly well behaved in the ring when he went up for auction, and he was quite cheap too. We were very ignorant at the time not to realise _why_ he was so cheap, especially since he's such a beautiful creature. I suppose we just couldn't help ourselves."

And Ren could see why; the stallion really was a beautiful creature. Power was evident in every muscle, and whilst he was slightly bulkier than the other horses at the Court Stables, Ren could tell he would be just as fast as them, if not more so. He was a beautiful golden caramel colour, his mane and tail a slightly lighter gold, and he seemed to glow like buttercups did in the setting sun over a summer meadow. He had long hair on his fetlocks which covered his hooves, and his deep brown eyes held wisdom and intelligence in them. Ren would be jealous of anyone who rode this horse, that's for sure.

"Ah, let me introduce ourselves. My name is Kaori, I'm the Chief Stablehand here at the palace. And this man is my second in command, Kiwa." He explained, pointing to the slightly taller man next to him who smiled at Ren, "And this is my son, Tasuku." He finished, patting the much smaller boy on the head; he seemed to like that action as much as Ren did when Otsu did it to her.

"I haven't seen you around before Miss, you new around here?" Kaori asked.

"Yes, I'm the new Apprentice Blacksmith, Ren. I've only been here a couple of weeks, and I haven't been able to leave the forge very often till now when I- Shit." She suddenly raced over to the corner of the stables, shoving one of the ropes in Tasuku's hands as he was the closest to her, and ignoring his nervous protest as she checked on the box of halters.

"Phew," Ren breathed quietly, relieved to see none of the halters were scratched or damaged and still in perfect condition. She picked up the box and walked back to the others, saying, "I was just coming by the deliver these halters… I almost forgot about them with all the commotion though." Ren laughed nervously as she handed to box over to Kaori, but he just smiled at her kindly.

"Thank you Ren. You'll have to remind Otsu for me that I still owe him that drink." Kaori finished with loud laugh; he was very similar to Otsu in that way, Ren noticed.

"What are we going to do with the stallion, Chief?" Kiwa said pointedly, "He only seems to be calm whilst Ren is around."

They all turned to look at Tasuku, who was leaning as far back as he could without falling over, a nervous expression on his face as the stallion looked at him and snorted; the horse almost seemed to be giving Tasuku the evils. Ren took the horse back from him, and the stallion calmed down immediately. But when Tasuku released a relieved sigh, the horse gave him one last threatening snort; the poor guy was set on edge again by that one action.

"Hmmm…" Kaori hummed, thinking for a while before saying with his hands on his hips, "The stallion will be Ren's official steed, should she ever need one on her journeys outside the palace. You may come and visit the stables whenever you want to, you're more than welcome here after everything you did for us today."

"T-that's very kind of you sir, but I don't have the time to take care of a horse! And really, i-it's just not necessary… I just helped out to stop anybody from getting hurt, you don't need to give me anything. Besides," Ren said, fingers twisting together, "I never go far enough away from the palace to need a horse…"

"Well you never know… one day this great steed may come in handy," Kaori said, a small smirk on his face; it oddly reminded Ren of the way Otsu had looked at the Court Herbalists, like he was sharing some private joke with himself.

As if to back up his words, the stallion nuzzled the sugar cube pouch again, nickering at her softly; the strength of the stallion had made her step back slightly, and Ren looked at the creature fondly; she supposed it would be nice to have an excuse to come to the stables more often…

"I can't thank you enough for saving my son, Ren." Kaori said solemnly. But soon his loud demeanour returned as he slapped his son hard on the back, laughing as he said, "He really can be an idiot sometimes! I don't know how he ended up so unaware of his surroundings! I tell ya, it certainly wasn't from _my_ influence!"

"I'm sure Otsu will allow you some time off to come and look after him, maybe even ride him, though that may take some time…" Kiwa said, "We will do our best to look after him when you're not here, we _are_ Court Stablehand's after all, and he is a lot more docile than he once was." Kiwa shared a laugh with Kaori at that, and Tasuku joined in too, though his laughs still sounded a little nervous.

"It is the least we can do to repay you. You've prevented a lot of injuries from happening today Ren." Kaori said, "And I'm sure Otsu will be happy to hear you tamed the horse which broke his arm."

Ren was a little shocked at that, but she bowed in gratitude saying, "Thank you for your generosity, I will try to visit as often as I can."

"It's no problem Ren." Kaori said, "And thanks again for the delivery."

The two older men left, going back into the stables and waving goodbye to her, trusting Tasuku to take care of the stallion.

"So does he have a name?" Ren asked the young man.

"No actually, he doesn't," Tasuku said; he was becoming more relaxed as time went on, "After all the trouble he's caused we never got round to it. When we first bought him though, we thought he'd become a member of the Royal Courts _private_ horse because of his beauty, so _they_ would've named him. But because of his unruliness…"

"That never happened." Ren finished, understanding the problem they had faced. Tasuku just nodded solemnly, and Ren tried to think of a name as she stared at the stunning creature.

Eventually she said, "Buttercup."

"Huh?" Tasuku said, confused by her outburst.

"I'm going to call him Buttercup." Ren said, smiling as the newly dubbed Buttercup tossed his head and nickered in approval, a few stray hairs from his golden mane falling into his eyes.

"You can't call him that!" Tasuku exclaimed, "That's a cow's name!"

"It's just a flower!" Ren laughed, "And the colour of his coat reminded me of one. I think he likes it, don't you Buttercup?"

Once again the stallion loudly nickered his approval, and Tasuku couldn't help but laugh and shake his head saying, "I suppose he does."

Suddenly the boy blushed, his body tensing as he said, "Oh my god. I haven't thanked you for saving me yet!"

Ren quickly interjected, waving her free hand in front of her frantically as she said embarrassedly, "It's not a problem! Really! You don't need to thank me for it, I was just acting on pure instinct! I didn't want anybody to get hurt, you know? There's no need for you to thank me I swear."

"Well… thanks anyway." Tasuku said, shrugging at her frantic reaction. "So where did all your knowledge and skill with horses come from? Was it from blacksmithing?"

"Sort of," Ren said, "My mother's a blacksmith, and whenever she went to re-shoe a horse she would take me with her. They were a passion of hers, and she taught me everything I know about them." Ren stroked Buttercup as she remembered her mother and home, "We do have a horse at home, but we use him to carry loads too heavy for us and to make deliveries in the forest surrounding my village. My parents needed him more than I did, so I came here on foot instead of riding here."

"That explains why we never saw you before now," Tasuku said, "If you _had_ ridden here, we would've met when you came to put your horse in the stables."

"We've met now though, even if it did take a little longer. And I have a horse of my own now." Ren laughed at the bizarrity of it all; she never expected _this_ to happen, not in a million years. After a slight pause she said, "So how long have you been working here Tasuku?"

"Well, I've officially worked here since I was…hmm… 14? No, 15. So that means it's been… 3 years now? But I've always been around the stables since I was little; my father would bring me here to keep an eye on me. Horses seemed to be the only thing that kept me out of trouble." Tasuku laughed, Ren joining in at the idea of a small boy being watched by a stable full of horses. "How about you?" he asked, "You been settling in okay?"

"Yeah, everyone's been so kind it's been really easy feeling at home here. I still miss my village though, it's so far away… And it's only been two weeks! I don't know how long I'll survive here without getting really homesick!" Ren laughed, trying to hide her true worries.

"Lots of people miss home," Tasuku said, seeing through her laughter easily, "The staff here come from all over Clarines, and whilst they miss their homes and families, they have another, larger family right here in the palace. You should come down to the communal areas more often, it can be a lot fun. Plus if it's someone's birthday, there's always cake and booze going round."

Ren smiled but she still looked unsure; there would be a lot of people there…

"You know," Tasuku said, "I think we live in the same building. That rumour about the hooded figure who only appears in the forest late at night? That started in our building, probably because people saw you leave. Some say you're a spirit… others just say you just sleepwalk." Ren eyes were wide with surprise; she hadn't heard of these rumours before. Tasuku just laughed, "You're the mysterious Apprentice Blacksmith, Ren, and these rumours will only grow the more you avoid people. I think it would be best if you showed them you're just an ordinary human being, not some forest spirit. And sooner rather than later."

Ren just blinked at him, mumbling, "Yeah… haha… you're probably right…"

As Tasuku smiled at Ren, she could see the resemblance he had to his father, and it wasn't just in the olive skin or the black hair, nor the sturdy build and lean muscles; it was in the way he could easily reassure someone, the calm and easy going way in which he said things that could placate anyone around him – both father and son had this ability, and Ren had no doubt it worked on the horses too.

But Tasuku was also very different from his father; his hair was messy and it fell into his blue-green eyes, whilst his father's hair was neat and his eyes as blue as a clear summer sky. Tasuku had a bit of stubble on his chin and he was much shorter than his father – a head shorter than Ren whilst his father was a head taller than her.

 _Wait a second…_ Ren thought, _he's been working here since he was 15 for 3 years…_

"How old are you?" Ren asked suspiciously, eyes narrowed.

"18. Why, how old are you?" Tasuku replied, confused.

"18… What month?"

"March."

"…May." Ren said with a victorious smirk.

Tasuku remained confused for a moment, but then his eyes widened and he whispered, "Oh no… You've _got_ to be kidding me."

" _Haha!_ This is brilliant!" Ren exclaimed with childish delight, "I'm _taller_ than you! But I'm _younger_!" She could barely control her elated giggles, and Buttercup even joined in by nickering at a melancholy Tasuku.

"Yeah, yeah you two, cut it out…" He grumbled, "I'm still _older_ than you Ren, so you should respect me as your senior."

However, his feeble attempts to regain respect were shattered when Ren said, "You're only a 'senior' by two months, and besides… I thought you were supposed to look _up_ to your seniors, not down."

Tasuku tried to get a reply out but the words just stuck in his throat, so he gave up and hung his head dejectedly as Ren continued to giggle at him.

"I should get back to work…" Ren said, her laughter finally ceasing.

"Yeah… me too." Tasuku agreed, still a little sour about the whole height thing. "But er, what happens once you leave? I mean with Buttercup." He looked at the stallion nervously.

"He'll be fine. He's not as much trouble as he was before, and he hasn't tried to hurt you or run away again as we've been standing here, right? You'll be a good boy, won't you Buttercup?" As Ren said this the stallion tossed his head and neighed; Tasuku wasn't sure if it was a good sign or not so he just hummed, unconvinced.

But Ren seemed to think it was a good sign as she was already walking away saying, "You'll be _fine_ , beansprout! I'll drop by soon, okay?"

"Fine… but I'll see you this evening in the communal kitchen! If I don't see you I'm coming to find you! You hear me ya freakish giant?!" Tasuku called, trying to get back at her for the nickname; but Ren simply waved and grinned over her shoulder.

Tasuku sighed and waved back at her, looking over at the stallion he was holding onto, who snorted right in his face; Tasuku quickly tilted his head back, his smile now a little strained because of his nervousness, and he watched the horse from the corner of his eye as Ren turned the corner of the stables.

 _Huh,_ Ren thought, _it's only been two weeks and I've already met so many people… Erisa, Obi, Shirayuki, Ryuu, Kai and Shiira, and now Tasuku. To think I've made so many friends so quickly here… and I only really had_ one _in Tarrin! I've changed so much… I don't think Kyoko would recognise me anymore!_ Ren's pondering had been positive till this point, but now she thought sadly with a sigh, _Not that she'd want to see me anyway…_

* * *

 **A/N: I'm so sorry everyone. Not only is this quite late but its also one of my shortest chapters. Never the less, I hope you all have enjoyed this chapter!  
I'd like to thank my friend Emily, and of course google, for helping me with the horse stuff, because I know very little about them. If I did get something wrong then please correct me.  
Thanks so much to EVERYONE for reading my story, it means so much to me, and to everyone who has followed and favourited, your the best. I love getting your feedback via reviews or a private message, I know most of your usernames by memory because your comments brighten up my day. I seem to get two reviews per chapter at the moment, so lets break that pattern everyone!**

 **Review Responses and RenxObi:**

 _ **Alex-senpai:**_ **Whilst I would consider writing an au fic where RenObi is a thing, I a) have no idea when or how this story will end, b) have other fics I would like to write in the future and c) I would love to have a life outside of writing.**

 **I am going to explain some things now considering Obi and Ren as a couple, and also Ren's romantic interests, so everybody listen up! I dont mean this in a hostile or mean way, so please dont read it that way D:**

 **1) There will be certain scenes or conversations in the future (and maybe in the past) which I think can be read in a RenObi manner. They can either be read on a friendship level, or you could read it differently in a romantic manner. It's all about your own perception of things, and that is up to you.**

 **2) I will say again that I think it is important for a male and female to have a close relationship without being romantically inclined. People can love and care deeply for one another without that love being romantic.**

 **3) There is a HUGE reason, that I have not previously mentioned, why Ren cannot become a couple with either Obi, or any of the other male characters. I don't know if anyone has figured it out yet, my hints have been few and subtle, but I will say it loud and clear:**

 **REN. IS. GAY.**

 **Ren likes girls. That's pretty much one of the biggest reasons. I got writing and it happened, so... there it is.**

 **I am NOT going to stop you from shipping Ren with Obi, or any other guy characters, and I'm certainly not going to stop you from shipping her with female characters either. YOU ARE FREE TO SHIP WHOEVER YOU WANT. Its just guyxRen ships will never be canon in this story.  
HOWEVER: if you have an idea or scenario that is RenObi, MAYBE I'll write a set of oneshots which all occur within this story for you at a later date. MAYBE. IF you send me your ideas, by pm or my tumblr: limegreenarcher. It could happen if enough of you REALLY want it to.**

 **Okay, sorry for the long A/N again, but thank you so much for reading! And whether you like what you read or not:**

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

 **-Limegreenarcher**

 **Edit: Thank you guest for pointing out my mistake with the months. Its now been fixed :D**


	9. Chapter 9: The Sightings

As it turned out, Kiwa was right in saying that Otsu would allow Ren time off to care for Buttercup; every Sunday morning in fact, when the stablehand's took the horses out for a long ride in the forests surrounding the palace. And although Ren was yet to really ride Buttercup, she still spent as much time as she could with him, going down to the stables during her free time and helping Tasuku out; she visited almost every other day, and so she became a regular, friendly face to the stablehand's there.

As for how Otsu reacted when he heard Ren had tamed the beast which broke his arm… well, he simply smiled widely, his eyes squinting with glee as he rumbled out a loud, bellowing laugh, slapping Ren on the back as he held his belly and said:

"Well isn't this a cruel irony! That beast has prevented me from working, and now it takes my student! I'd be furious if it wasn't for the fact that the beast is now tamed! Well done my girl! Well done!"

Ren had released a surprised laugh at his reaction, but was pleased to know Otsu had no grudge against the horse and was allowing her time off to look after him.

As time went on, Buttercup became much more docile and approachable, though it was easy to see that he would always have a wild streak within him; it was just the stallion's personality. They had also discovered that Buttercup often mirrored Ren's emotions, meaning that he was calm around people Ren was calm or friendly towards, and that if Ren were upset or angry, the stallion would be more hostile towards others and quite protective of her; this they had discovered when Ren had received a letter one morning from her mother, and when the stablehand's tried to find out what she was mumbling so angrily about whilst feeding Buttercup, the horse had turned and snorted at them, blocking their path to Ren. She had quickly calmed the stallion, and passed off their concerns with a shrug and a laugh, saying she'd just got up on the wrong side of bed that morning.

Tasuku was still very jumpy around Buttercup, even though he pretended not to be, and despite the fact the horse was no longer hostile towards him, Tasuku being a friend of Ren's, and so one day Ren had taken matters into her own hands. She had dragged Tasuku by the arm to Buttercups stall, forced him to stand right before the great horse and placed his hand onto Buttercups snout, holding it there as the boy protested in panic. It took a while, but eventually he calmed down once Ren had pointed out nothing was happening to him and that Buttercup was simply standing there, watching Tasuku with disinterest. After that, Tasuku realised he no longer had to be frightened of the stallion, and he had rubbed his head in abashment, thanking Ren quietly.

Two months had passed since that first dramatic incident at the stables, and Ren and Tasuku had become good friends; though Ren still teased him about his height, and Tasuku still reminded her of his 'senior' status over her.

Ren had indeed gone to the communal kitchen that evening on Tasuku's request, and though she felt a little awkward and at first panicked by the close proximity to strangers, the warm and relaxed atmosphere soon lent itself to her, and she found that it was a lot easier than before for her to interact with others. She found she now greatly enjoyed people's company, even if she did not know them very well, and she did not mind so much when someone touched her shoulder or grabbed her hands in excitement. Touch was still special to her, and she gave it more sparingly than she received it, but she had become less reserved since coming to Wistal, and Ren found that she liked this change a lot.

She didn't even mind all that much that the Head Cook stayed in the room next to hers, seeing as she didn't bother her as long as Ren stayed quiet enough. The old hag acted like a matron of their building, claiming she had to "Keep all these young fools in check"; the 'young fools' (pretty much everyone under the age of 60) would just laugh together quietly once she had turned her back, putting on a façade of obedience in her presence only in an attempt to avoid one of her famous rants.

Ren received a letter from her parents each month, and in turn they received one from her every month, both telling the other of any goings on and asking how everything was. So far, her mother had reported that life was carrying on as usual in Tarrin, though there _had_ been a large celebration in the local pub when they'd heard of Ren's success; of course her mother had written about the various arm wrestling competitions she had won that night, and of how the village was celebrating despite not knowing Ren that well, because not much excitement ever occurred there (' _any excuse to drink themselves silly, really',_ Kaiya had written).

Ren kept all the letters in one of the draws in the desk in her room, stacked into a small but neat pile (currently there were only two letters, but they still made Ren smile whenever she read or even just looked at them).

It was on a warm summer's day that Ren and Tasuku could be found at the back of the stables, relaxing on a huge pile of hay as streams of sunlight filtered in and illuminated the dust motes floating in the air. They had finished their morning tasks and were relaxing in a comfortable silence, the humid air making their limbs and eyelids heavy.

Tasuku could often be found atop the hay, snoozing away with a hay stalk between his teeth, hands behind his head and oblivious to the world around him. As a result of these naps he often had hay tangled within his messy hair, though he didn't really seem to care and never bothered to take them out; there were times when the shaggy mop was more hay than hair.

As they lounged on the hay the muted sounds of the busy palace could just about be heard by the two, and those duties seemed so far away, like a distant dream. This place was quiet and warm, and it was no surprise to Ren that Tasuku often came here to relax and escape it all.

Ren remembered a conversation they had had the other day about their families; they had been lying on this very hay, and the conversation had been very relaxed and calm, the two simply stating facts, nothing more, nothing less.

Tasuku spoke of how his mother had died of a fever when he was three, and so his father had to bring him in to the stables in order to look after him; he had lived on the palace grounds ever since, having no other family except for his father.

Ren spoke of how her grandparents on her mother's side had passed away a few years ago, the green waistcoat she wore their last gift to her, and of how her father's family lived in the north of Clarines but were not on speaking terms with their son; for what reason Ren didn't know, but it was always a touchy subject that her father never talked about.

It was by no means a happy subject for either friends to talk about, but they found it was a relief to be able to talk to someone about it without receiving pity; they did not want nor need it.

Tasuku was a very down to earth and care free person, and Ren found it quite refreshing as she'd never met someone like that before; his attitude was one of the reasons she found it easier to talk with others in the communal areas of their building.

Coming back to the present Ren saw something disturb the dust motes from the corner of her eye, and turned to see Kiwa walking towards them, a small smile on his face and hands on his hips as he stopped in front of them.

"Hello Ren, how are you today? I didn't see you come in." he said.

"I'm good thank you, I must have come in when you were busy. How are you?" Ren replied, sitting up and nudging Tasuku, who appeared to have dozed off.

"I'm well, thank you." Kiwa said, nodding his head, "Though if you've got some spare time on your hands then how about giving riding Buttercup another shot?"

Ren held in a groan as she cringed and rubbed the bruises on her lower back; they were still sore from the last time she'd attempted to ride Buttercup, as they had yet to tame the stallion when it came to riding him and Ren had gained more than a few bruises from being thrown off his back. When she even managed to get on it, that is.

Fortunately for them, Buttercup didn't seem to mind having a saddle or halter being put on him, so at least they weren't struggling with that as well.

"Alright…" Ren said a little reluctantly, getting down off the hay, "I'll go saddle him up. Is the training arena free?"

"Mhmm," Kiwa hummed, "It should be free for the rest of the day."

"Oh. Right. Excellent…" Ren said, trying to remain positive about how the training would go.

"Though I'm afraid I'm busy at the moment, so I won't be able to help you out today." Kiwa said.

"Oh, that's okay, I should be alright on my own." Ren said, gesturing slightly with her hands and feeling a little relieved.

 _At least no one will see me fall on my backside this time…_ She thought.

"I'll go too." Tasuku said, having suddenly woken up very quickly and now jumping down from the hay pile, "I'll watch from the fencing and be on standby in case anything goes wrong."

"Thank you Tasuku, that's very kind of you." Kiwa said with a smile, oblivious to the glare Ren was sending the boy from the corner of her eyes; Tasuku was just grinning widely, the hay stalk still between his teeth. "I'll leave you two to it then. Good luck!" With that Kiwa turned and went back to work, Ren and Tasuku soon walking towards Buttercups stall; the boy seemed to be in high spirits, and Ren knew why.

The only reason Tasuku would end his nap, other than his father telling him to get his ass moving and back to work, was to laugh at Ren falling on her butt repeatedly whilst trying to ride a damn horse. He found it greatly amusing and would always watch when she tried to ride Buttercup, so she'd gotten into the habit of not telling him when she was going to do so. Unfortunately Kiwa hadn't pegged onto this, so Ren was stuck with him and his mirth for the rest of the day.

Ren sighed and shook her head as Tasuku continued to grin, taking off her cloak and hanging it over the stall door, buckling a saddle onto Buttercup without a problem and then leading him out to the arena via the reins.

She supposed that it was a good thing Tasuku was coming along, despite his annoying laughter, as she didn't want to accidentally get crushed by Buttercup; it was good to have someone on standby in case it all went horribly wrong.

* * *

Mitsuhide couldn't find Zen _anywhere_.

He'd looked all over the palace and its grounds, and of course his first port of call had been Shirayuki at the Court Herbalists, but she hadn't seen him either. Kiki and Obi were also out looking for him, but they'd split up to cover more ground.

Yet they'd been searching for a good hour now, and with still no sign of the prince.

Mitsuhide let out an exasperated sigh as he walked along the fence of the horse training arena, just about ready to give up on his search; he was worried senseless, but clearly Zen didn't want to be found, so he'd just have to wait awhile. Besides, for all he knew, Zen could have gone to see Shirayuki after he had left her at the Court Herbalist's.

The sound of a horse whinnying and snorting brought Mitsuhide's attention to the training arena next to him. He saw a young woman struggling to stay on a wildly bucking stallion in the centre, a young man on the other side of the arena leaning over the fence and shouting encouragement to her; though he said it with a slight smirk and a teasing, sarcastic lilt.

"Come on Ren! You can do it!" The boy shouted, cupping a hand around his mouth as though to amplify his voice.

The girl, Ren, didn't seem to hear him, her full concentration being on staying on the horse. She was only just managing to hold on, gripping the horse with her thighs and clutching the reins tightly as she gritted her teeth. Her whole body was tensed up and her ponytail was flying wildly around her head as the horse bucked and kicked, doing everything it could to dislodge its passenger.

Mitsuhide paused to watch her progress, and it was only when she eventually fell off that he noticed the green ends of her hair.

Ren had managed to stay on the horse for a good amount of time, though the stallion was completely calm now that no one was on its back. It even went over to Ren, who was still on the floor, putting its head down and nickering at her gently as though in apology; either or that or because it couldn't understand why she was suddenly lying on the dirty ground.

Ren patted the horse's snout as she stood up, and the boy at the fence called out to her with a laugh:

"What happened to that strength you were telling me about, huh? You know, the one you earnt from the forge?"

"Oh ha ha." Ren shouted back, "I'd like to see _you_ do better, beansprout!"

For Mitsuhide the pieces suddenly clicked into place. He remembered hearing some of the servants gossiping about a girl with green dipped hair finally taming a horse they'd had for years, and how she wasn't even a stablehand. And he could also remember the guards stationed at the Poet's Gate talking about the new Apprentice Court Blacksmith with green hair ends as he walked by one morning.

He concluded that this was said girl.

But for some reason Mitsuhide felt like he recognised her, though he wasn't sure why exactly and couldn't place any memories to her specifically.

He continued to watch as she got back on the horse, this strange and annoying feeling of recognition making him all the more curious about her. Mitsuhide could see her skill from the very way she held herself and the way in which she tried to calm the horse, who was already moving about erratically. Mitsuhide remembered when this horse was first brought to the palace and the chaos it had caused at the stables; this blacksmith truly had a talent if she could do what some of the best handlers in the country could not, as they had gotten nowhere near this stage.

This time Ren managed to stay seated on the stallion, stopping him from bucking but unable to completely calm him as he snorted heavily, stomping his hooves and moving about from side to side unhappily.

The boy leaning lazily on the fence called out to her in a more sincere tone, "Hey… you did it! You actually managed to stay on this time! I think we're starting to get somewhere, you know?"

"Yeah... Thanks Tasuku! But I think we've still got a long way to goOOOOOoooooOOOO!" Ren's reply was abruptly interrupted as the stallion bolted across the arena, jolting Ren and forcing her to hold on to the reins tightly as they sped towards the fencing at the end.

Tasuku leaned over the fence hurriedly, prepared to jump into the arena but unsure of what he could do. He had a concerned and slightly panicked expression on his face as he called out to the receding figure:

"Ren! Are you alright?!"

"Yep…!" Came the slightly strained reply as Ren tugged with all her might on the reins, just about managing to turn the stallion before they both collided with the wooden fence. Unfortunately this did not stop the horse, and the two went racing down the opposite side of the arena at full speed.

The world around Ren was nothing but a passing blur of browns and greens, though she could still make out when they were coming to the end of the arena and could still just about manage to turn the horse to avoid collision; hopefully he would wear himself out soon, but strangely enough this seemed to be helping their progress.

If Ren hadn't been so focused on not crashing, she may have noticed the briefest blur of blue in her surroundings as she raced past one side of the arena.

Mitsuhide chuckled, amazed at her skill and relieved that it had prevented her and the horse from sustaining any injuries from a possible nasty crash into a fence. He decided it was probably about time he restarted his search for Prince Zen, as he may have returned to his study by now, however unlikely that may seem…

As he walked away from the training arena, Mitsuhide couldn't help but think about how the new Apprentice Blacksmith had more than one skill, and it made him laugh to wonder whether she had gone into the wrong profession or not; he had also decided to ignore the twinge of recognition for now, thinking it must simply be from seeing her working around the palace.

* * *

It was a few days later, on a pleasantly warm evening, that Ren could be found in the forests within the palace walls practising her archery.

She'd managed to convince Tasuku to give her apples from the stables to use as targets, telling him it was a way of repaying her for saving his life when they first met (he had rolled his eyes at her clear emphasis on that fact and her attempts at guilt tripping him, shoving a few apples into her hands before turning his back on her and going back to work.). Ren knew she didn't _have_ to say that to get the apples, but she just wanted to see his reaction. Which had been quite amusing.

Ren would sneak into the forest next to her staff lodgings, just as the sun was beginning to set and the trees were casting long shadows over everything, carrying her bow and apples, her quiver on her cloaked back. She'd been going into the forest to practice her archery for about a month now, as her first two weeks at the palace had been full of hard, strenuous work, leaving behind sore muscles which needed rest and _not_ the strain of pulling back a bow.

The initial rumours that had been spread about her were due to the night runs she had gone on in the forests on her first nights at the palace; the trees reminded her of home and helped calm her nerves, and she had decided to scout the whole forest out in order to avoid all the people in her building.

Ren still did this every now and again, though the rumours had now ceased because of her more regular appearances in the staff communal areas (they figured she was just a normal girl who enjoyed the outdoors, so they left it at that).

A month away from her bow had left Ren a little rusty, but she found she couldn't get out all that often to practice; she was busy in the forge or at the stables most of the time, and her own fears of being caught by someone held her back. She wasn't a guard or anything like that, so she wasn't entirely sure she was supposed to be using a weapon unauthorised like this. And even though she knew hiding it would only look worse if she were caught, she decided it was better than going to the guards at the barracks and asking if she could practice with them.

 _Besides,_ Ren reminded herself, _they'll just be standing up straight and shooting at round targets in the open. It's better if I practice in the forest with lots of leaves in my way, it's much more realistic and it tests your skill more._

Ren was almost back on form now, though that didn't mean she could stop practising of course.

At this moment in time Ren was crouching in a slight dip she had found just off of one of the forests pathways, peering through many branches and leaves in the undergrowth at an apple she had placed on top of a tree stump. The bright red fruit had a small 'x' cut into its flesh, which Ren had made using her small dagger.

It also happened to be that at this time Kiki was out on an evening run; it was a pleasant evening and the others were all busy, Zen having gone off to see Shirayuki with an annoyed Mitsuhide secretly keeping watch close by (he still hadn't let go of the fact Zen had snuck off two days ago, and hadn't let the prince out of his sight since) and Kiki didn't know where Obi was or what he was up to. And so she had decided to get a little peace and quiet and make the most of this time alone, before Zen discovered his shadow.

She had just run round a curve in the dirt track when she heard a frustrated shout come from up ahead, just off of the pathway and from within the undergrowth between the trees.

Kiki slowed her pace, stepping quietly with ease as she cautiously approached the area the sound had come from, spotting a bright red apple on a tree stump as she reached the edge of the path. As she looked more closely at it she saw that it had an 'x' cut into its centre, and she paused, wondering why it was there.

Just as she was about to step off of the path and into the trees to get a closer look, an arrow thudded into the tree stump, just inches below the apple. It was only now that Kiki noticed the other half a dozen arrows dotted around the apple, their dark wood shafts and speckled feather fletching's easily blending into the undergrowth in the fading light.

Another frustrated cry rang out from the undergrowth, and Kiki quickly pressed her back against the nearest tree to hide from the now nearby stranger; they were armed, and so she did not wish to take them by surprise and cause any untoward injuries for either of them.

Turning her head to look out beyond the tree, Kiki saw a figure cloaked in dark green, a hood casting deep shadows across the young woman's face as she knelt by the tree stump, using a small dagger to dig her arrows out of the wood. She had a look of frustration and intense concentration on her face, but as she collected all her arrows she looked down, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, holding it for a few moments before releasing it slowly and standing back up, placing the arrows back in her quiver.

Kiki turned to look around the other side of the tree as she followed the girl's movement, watching as she walked back to her position in the undergrowth, which Kiki thought to be about 50 metres away from the apple.

Kiki could barely see her crouching there through all the foliage, the woman's cloak aiding her by merging with the greens of the surrounding forest; this was a hunter, and Kiki was sure of that, as the woman's footfalls had been silent even with all the debris covering the forest floor as she had walked back.

This time though, Kiki could see a more serene expression on the woman's face; she appeared completely calm, breathing deeply and slowly, and she felt the soft breeze and the last rays of sunlight on her skin as she became one with her environment, her breath matching the rustle of the trees above her. As she drew her bow back, she focused on the 'x' and only the 'x' of her target, thinking only of hitting it, not how she would or why.

She loosed the arrow, her body locked into position and unwavering as it was sent towards its target. With a soft thud and a squelch, the arrow pierced the apple, straight through the centre of the 'x' and almost passing straight through it as the apple was knocked back off its perch and onto the ground behind the stump.

Kiki had watched the arrow find its mark, and she was quite impressed; it took not only skill but many years of practice to hit such a small target from so far away, and the woman had managed to quell her frustration in order to achieve success.

There was a loud rustle as the girl quickly emerged from the bushes she had been crouching in, bouncing on her toes and grabbing the air with her fist in glee before rushing over to get a closer look at her handiwork. As she did this her hood caught on a branch, the cloth falling down as the girl continued forward, ignoring the slight resistance.

Without the shadows to obscure her features or the hood to cover her hair, Kiki finally recognised the girl as the one they had met on Open Castle Day; she now knew how she had managed to blend into the crowd so easily in her embarrassment, having had plenty of practice whilst she hunted in forests.

Kiki, like Mitsuhide, had heard the guards and servants talking about the new Apprentice Court Blacksmith with green hair ends, and the silly rumour of the strange figure going into the woods at sunset. The rumours had almost been as numerous as when Shirayuki had first arrived, though for the apprentice blacksmith they had been less common as she had no relation to Prince Zen; it was less exciting gossip if the royalty weren't involved.

Seeing no threat Kiki turned to leave, however the small smile that had been on her face quickly disappeared as she accidentally stepped on a twig with a loud _SNAP!_

The woman spun towards the sound as Kiki froze, calling out in a slightly panicked voice, "Who's there?"

Kiki kept her back to the blacksmith, though she realised with a quick glance behind her that the tree she had been hiding behind still stood between them, blocking the others view of her; the woman looked around her, searching for the source of the snap but not moving from her spot by the stump.

"It's alright," Kiki said, "Your secrets safe with me."

With that final line Kiki dashed off, back down the path and round the bend, disappearing behind the trees as though she were never there. She had not wanted to unnerve the poor girl in case she recognised Kiki as one of the Imperial Guards or as one of Zen's aides, having already sounded quite panicked at the prospect of being discovered (Kiki supposed no one else knew about her practice in the forest) but Kiki hadn't wished to stay to chat either.

The Apprentice Blacksmith seemed harmless, and though her skill did interest Kiki slightly, it wasn't something she needed to look into urgently. Besides, it was probably about time she got back to the others; no doubt Zen had discovered Mitsuhide unsuccessfully spying on him, and the fallout of that would be… interesting, though not unusual.

Ren, meanwhile, was once again left alone in the forest, blinking confusedly after hearing that statement in a calm and flat female voice, and having seen the back of a receding figure running into the forest, a blond ponytail swaying lightly behind them.

She wasn't really sure what had just happened, though she did feel relieved that they didn't think she was some criminal or wasn't supposed to be there; whoever _they_ were, that is…

* * *

It was a few weeks later on a bright Sunday morning that Zen, Kiki, Mitsuhide, Obi and Shirayuki could be found on a relaxing walk through the forests of the palace grounds, strolling along one of the main pathways and happily chatting away with one another.

Birds were singing, the sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Everything was perfect.

At first, only Obi felt the slight vibrations running through the ground beneath his feet, but soon enough the rest of the group could hear the distant pounding of hooves. Assuming it was just the stablehand's on their morning ride, the group continued on carelessly; they knew the stablehand's route never took them down this path, so they would be fine here and not in anyone's way.

Just as the pounding of hooves became louder (much too loud to be the riders going down their usual route) the group heard a panicked cry of "LOOK OUT!"

They turned only to see a huge horse powering towards them, dust erupting at his hooves as they pounded the earth beneath them, every muscle straining as it came towards them at full gallop.

They dived out the way, off of the path and into the undergrowth next to it, Obi shielding Shirayuki from the fall on the right side of the path as Mitsuhide did the same to Zen on the left, the prince and his aides diving to the opposite side.

They all managed to do so just in time, another horse speeding by and close on the heels of the first, its riders yell just about heard by the group over the thunderous pounding of hooves:

"Slow down Ren!"

"What do you think I'm trying to do Tasuku?! This is his first time in the forest!" The first rider called out.

The group looked up to see the pair vanishing into the distance, spotting a girl with a green cloak and green hair ends atop a golden stallion, and a boy with shaggy black hair atop a midnight mare. Their shouting voices also faded as the distance between them increased evermore, until they were out of sight completely.

All Ren had seen of this encounter had been a blur of red, blue, white, yellow and black amongst the green undergrowth as she had sped by, having paid no attention to detail when she first saw the group of five because of the panic and possibility that she might run them over. Which she fortunately hadn't.

Zen was the first to recover from the peacefulness of their walk being shattered completely, standing up as he asked everyone if they were alright and crossing the pathway to help Shirayuki up, holding out his hand to her politely; she took it with a slight blush, and everyone dusted themselves off as they confirmed they were all fine apart from maybe a few bruises here and there.

"They should watch where they're going..." Mitsuhide said a little grouchily as he picked a stray leave off of his arm.

"It was his first time in the forest," Obi said with a laugh, repeating what the cloaked rider had shouted to her companion, "He was probably just excited or something."

Shirayuki hummed as she recalled the names shouted by the riders, and looked at Obi as she asked him, "The Apprentice Blacksmith is called Ren, isn't she? And she has dipped dyed green hair, just like that first rider…"

"Mhm," Obi nodded, "I think that was her, Miss. There's no mistaking her hair." He finished with a chuckle.

"I wonder why she was on a horse… and a… _boisterous_ one at that." Shirayuki said with a laugh, looking to her companions with a smile.

Seeing the confused looks on the rest of her friend's faces though, Shirayuki explained to them how Ren was the one at Open Castle Day and how the three of them had met when Obi had brought her to the herbalists, Shirayuki healing Ren's burn and talking to her for a while about herbs.

"Huh," Mitsuhide said, "You know, I think I remember seeing her a few weeks ago at the stables. I was looking for _you_ ," He pointedly looked at Zen, who was a little sheepish, "when I saw her trying to ride that stallion in the training arena. Looks like she's made a little progress since then… At the time I _thought_ I recognised her from _somewhere_ …"

"And now you know where." Kiki said, "That stallion was a lot of trouble for the stablehand's. Apparently this blacksmith saved someone's life when she turned up; the horse was loose and would've kicked someone if it wasn't for her intervention. Perhaps they asked her to help them out."

"It is possible they did that if he was so much trouble…" Zen said, nodding his head slowly.

"That sounds so heroic though!" Shirayuki exclaimed, "It was frightening enough for that horse to be running towards us, I couldn't even imagine confronting it!"

"Still…" Zen grumbled, crossing his arms, "She should watch where she's going. Dangerous horse or no."

But Shirayuki just giggled at him, saying, "I'm sure she means no harm. Besides, they're long gone by now, so let's just carry on with our walk."

Zen's foul mood now quelled by Shirayuki and the fact they were all okay, the group all smiled and once again continued on their walk, peace restored to the forest as the birds sung brightly and the sun shone.

Kiki didn't mention the time she saw Ren shooting in the forest, nor did Obi tell them about the time he met her in alehouse. The group didn't talk about her, though sometimes a thought would cross their minds; how it was strange this girl kept popping up in their lives, though none of them dwelled on it for long, as it was merely coincidence (they _were_ in the same palace, after all).

The rest of the day was peaceful and without incident, although all members of that group were keeping an ear out for any more pounding of hooves or the panicked shouts of riders, just in case.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh boy... It's been what... 4 months? I'm SO SO SO SO SO SO sorry. There really isn't enough time to tell you how much I'm sorry, but thank you _so much_ for sticking with me, it means a lot. I had a bit a depressive episode where I got NOTHING done, and art has been consuming me. However, I think I'm more on top of it now, but I'm afraid I cant make any promises on when I'll next update. Think of it as a surprise! Everyone likes surprises, right?  
Anyway, Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you enjoyed your belated Christmas prezzy, and I hope you all have a great New Year. I really can't tell you how much your support helps me, so thank you so much if you favourited, followed or reviewed in the past four months.**

 **Review Replies:  
  
Thank you to _jonica77,_ _lalabye_ and the _Guests_ for your reviews, sorry I took so long and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 _ **Cait:**_ **Erm... sorry but Ren's heart doesn't need breaking right now... I like to build up to those things ;) there will be a little about it next chapter, but Ren already knows about their relationship.**

 _ **Kana nishizono:**_ **There will be more zenyuki when there is more of Zen and Shirayuki in the fic, however I cant make too many promises, as I have mentioned before... I'm not great at writing romance and it may be cliched or cheesy, unfortunately... again, I'm really sorry.**

 _ **musicisalifestyle**_ **: Thank you SO MUCH for your review. Its reviews like yours which really motivate me the most and make me smile the most. It brings me great joy to know that you enjoy reading this fic, and you have no need to worry: I don't plan on EVER abandoning this fic, no matter how long it may take me to update it. I simply enjoy it to much, though time is often against me. Really, four months went so fast...**

 **Idk if everyone reads my authors notes or my review replies, but the reason I do it is because I think your opinions are important and deserve answers, and I want to show my gratitude because your reviews mean everything to me. I know I say this a lot but its true! I reply to reviews here because sometimes there are parts of my answer I think everyone should know, like how I wont abandon this fic. So I hope you read them.  
If you dont want me to reply to your review publicly or even privately, then just let me know, its not a problem.**

 **So, as always, thank you so much for reading, and we broke the average of reviews for each chapter! Though that may be because I took so long to update... Anyways, whether you liked what you read or not...**

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

 **-Limegreenarcher**


	10. Chapter 10: The Run-In

Ren tugged her hood further over her face, walking quickly through the rainy streets of Wistal as she made her way towards _'The Anchor Inn and Alehouse'_. It had been pouring down all day, and small rivers of rainwater flowed down the cobblestone streets, twisting and winding their way down to the harbour or collecting in small puddles which littered the roads, almost impossible to navigate around.

Despite the cold dampness that was seeping through Ren's cloak and the annoying droplets of water falling from the tip of her nose onto her clasped hands below, clutching her cloak tightly around her, nothing was going to keep her from her destination; come rain or shine Ren had promised Erisa she would visit her today, and so that was what she was doing.

A strong wind blew up the street, carrying the salty scent of the sea with it as it slammed into Ren, freezing her to the bone as she gritted her teeth, unable to stop her hood from falling back down again. Ren now realised why Tasuku and the rest of the servants in her building had looked at her as if she were crazy when she had told them she was going down into town in this weather.

 _This is far worse than any of the storms we've had back at home,_ Ren thought, _I guess it's because Wistal is so close to the sea…_

The wind buffeted against her again as though in reply, and Ren looked up to the sky above; the dark clouds showed no signs of dispersing or disappearing any time soon, and the stormy blanket had brought evening sooner than expected, dimming the city beneath them as though night had already fallen. It was unlikely they would see the stars tonight, if this storm did not pass.

But hope was found as Ren turned a corner, the sign to the alehouse swinging and creaking in the wind as streams of warm light flooded out of the latticed windows onto the street below, noisy chatter permeating the outside air despite the thick stone walls.

Ren quickened her step and soon enough was pushing open the heavy wooden door of the alehouse, stepping inside and looking forward to warming her frozen bones by the large fireplace as she shut the cold out behind her.

She spotted Erisa waiting on some of her laughing patrons, balancing a large tray covered in tankards full to the brim with ale on one hand as she dished them out with the other. Catching the others girl's eye as she made her way to the bar, Ren gave her a smile and a wave, which Erisa returned with an enormous grin spreading across her delicate face.

It wasn't long after Ren sat down that Erisa came rushing over, eager to hear about everything she had been up to at the palace, pouring tankards of the alehouses famous brew for the both of them. And so Ren told her everything. They talked long into the night, Erisa enraptured by Ren's tales of palace life; how Obi had taken her to the Court Herbalists by jumping across rooftops and through trees, how she had saved Tasuku from Buttercup and his subsequent taming (the horse, not the boy) and of course the tale about the evil Head Cook who was more like a vulture than a human being, surveying her building for any stragglers she could squawk at.

It was nice to have someone outside the palace to talk to, and of course Erisa talked about her fair share of rowdy patrons and the pieces of gossip she had heard, muttered by half passed out drunkards in the early hours of dawn. Those stories always brought a smile to Ren's lips.

* * *

It wasn't till much later that night that Ren left the alehouse, walking through the silent streets that were now still and calm. The rain had stopped, though puddles still littered the streets and the stormy clouds still covered the night sky; not a star could be seen through them, and there was no wind to clear them.

Wistal was asleep, and not another living creature could be heard nor seen as Ren stepped through the puddles in her path; she was almost hesitant to step in them at all and make a small _splash_ , such was the weight of the silence surrounding her.

But she ignored the eeriness of the night, deciding to take a quick shortcut down a small alleyway on her right, aiming to get back to the palace and her warm bed faster.

Ren turned the corner. Her now dry cloak quietly billowed behind her. Her feet padded against the cobblestones in near silence.

Her back was slammed into a wall.

The breath was knocked out of her as someone pushed against her shoulders and shoved her against the cold stones of the alleyway wall, a dark shadow covering them both from the view of anyone who might be passing by as Ren's vision blurred slightly from the impact. Ren could smell the alcohol on their breath, suffocating her as though it removed the oxygen from the air itself. She could sense that her assailant was around her height, their face far too close to hers as their fingers dug into the skin of her shoulders, making her grit her teeth in pain.

Ren's vision cleared and in the moonless night she could make out the figure of a thin, gangly man with a greasy face and stubbly beard, his nostrils flaring like a bulls, his mouth a twisted snarl and his eyes wide with madness and anger. She now realised that one of the man's arms was pressed against her throat, a strength in them his slim build hid as Ren struggled to swallow against the pressure this man applied; he could probably cut off her air if he tried.

" _You,_ " the man growled, sounding more like wolf than a person, " _You owe me._ You _stole_ from me." His face was mere inches from Ren's now, his stench almost overwhelming. "I bet _heavily_ on the fact you wouldn't get the position, that you would fail and a man would get the job. Like it _should_ be."

His arm pressed against Ren's throat more and she titled her head back as far as could; she was finding it harder to breathe, and the man's closeness was starting to panic her. She clawed at his arm desperately, but he ignored her, only applying more pressure to her throat and forcing her to pull back on his wrist as hard as she could; her attempts were futile.

"I boasted to _everyone_ at that damn alehouse how you would fail," he continued, "But you made a fool of me, and now I want the money you stole from me _little_ _girl_."

Ren's eyes widened as she realised who this horrible man was. She remembered his voice now, because she hadn't even turned to look at his face that morning at ' _The Anchor Inn and Alehouse'_. It was Kanbe, the drunkard who had laughed at her when she'd told Erisa's mother she wanted to be the Court Blacksmith's Apprentice. The man who had told her to run off home and 'sit pretty'.

Ren's eyes narrowed as Kanbe continued his spiel, though panic still coursed through her veins and muddled her mind:

"What's wrong? Too afraid to talk?" he sneered, "You women are so weak minded. This'll be like taking candy from a baby." Ren had no doubt he'd committed that crime in the past.

"What… what makes you think I'd give you anything… even if I _did_ have any money?" Ren said, struggling to get the words out as Kanbe's arm relentlessly pressed against her windpipe.

"Ha! Do you think I'm some kind of idiot? You work at the palace now, _little princess_." He leaned in close to her ear, and she shuddered at the feel of his breath on her neck as he whispered, "You're loaded, and now that you've finally come down from your castle, I'm going to take _everything_ from you."

He leaned back again, but Ren's heart was beating like she was a mouse who had been cornered by a stray cat that hadn't eaten in months; Kanbe's grin was full of greed and certainty for his victory.

Yet through her fear Ren saw that his arrogance and cockiness might actually aid her in her escape. He appeared unarmed, as though he had stumbled straight from his bed to an alehouse this morning, and then had managed to make his way here without any pit stops. That put them on more equal ground. Though he was much stronger than he appeared, his drunken state and inclination to be sexist would be his downfall; Kanbe had been planning to use his 'superior' manly strength and intimidation to overwhelm her, most likely.

A shadow passed silently overhead as Kanbe grinned with satisfaction, "You're little chums up at the palace can't help you now. There are no guards, no one to come save you. You're completely _helpless_ , darling, so why not just hand over the money and-"

"You assume…" Ren muttered, her eyes flashing angrily, "That I need someone to save me from you."

Kanbe only had a few seconds to look confused before Ren's knee slammed into his groin, the man immediately collapsing to the ground and screaming in pain, his arm leaving Ren's throat and going to his bruised groin as she sprinted down the alley as fast as her legs could carry her, his 'superior' strength useless now.

She turned corners at random as she sprinted through the dark side streets of Wistal, hoping to loose Kanbe in the winding maze but loosing herself in the process; Ren had no idea where she was, and she had no idea which direction led towards the edge of town and towards the palace. She could hear Kanbe's enraged shouts behind her, and whenever she slowed down she heard his pounding footsteps getting louder and louder, closer and closer. He was surprisingly fast for a man drunk out of his wits, and he clearly had a better knowledge of these streets than Ren did; he would give her no break or time to catch her breath, and so Ren ran on.

Shadows leapt across the alleyways and rooftops, but Ren didn't stop to look up at the sky which was now beginning to clear, the moon shining through passing clouds and the stars starting to appear in the jet black sky above her.

"Shit." Ren swore as she was met with a dead end. She had been looking behind when she'd turned the corner, and now as she turned to backtrack she found this was quite a long alleyway between two houses. She swore at herself again because she didn't even have her hunting dagger on her tonight; she did not know how to use it in combat, but it would have been better than nothing and at least she could have threatened Kanbe with it.

Just as she started to make her way back through the alley, she heard a vulgar cackle; the vile owner turned the corner, blocking the only exit and her path to freedom. He walked towards her slowly like an animal closing in on its prey; she once again felt like that cornered mouse, and with each step he took forward, Ren took one backwards.

Her eyes darted about desperately, but there was no way around him that would be out of his reach, and Ren knew it would be hopeless trying to reason with him. She also knew she couldn't fight her way out; she doubted she had the element of surprise after that well aimed shot to Kanbe's nether regions, nor would there be anyone to break up this fight when it got dirty. It didn't help that Ren's adrenaline was slowly running out, muscle-freezing fear threatening to replace it at any moment.

The clouds had now completely cleared and the moon shone down its pale light onto the city below; but the light now seemed harsh after the pitch darkness from before, and it cast long, deep shadows across the alley. The moon was behind Kanbe, covering his face in darkness and causing his shadow to stretch down the alley like some kind of reaching arm, clawing its way towards Ren with each step he took.

There was no sound but that of Ren's heavy breathing and the slow methodical, _plod, plod, plod_ of Kanbe's footsteps.

Ren's eyes widened as her back hit the wall behind her. It was too tall, too flat and too sturdy for her to climb or to even hope to knock down.

She searched the alleyway once again for a way out, Kanbe taking his time and only about halfway down the alley, his face still in shadow.

There was nothing different about the alleyway; the houses either side were at least three stories high, and there was a stack of rotten looking boxes about halfway down, a doorway leading to the house on the left by the alleys entrance. Still no way out.

 _At least,_ Ren thought, _no way out on ground level._

The stack of boxes was tall and looked incredibly unstable, but if she were to climb up them and then jump… she might just be able to reach the second floor window, which had a small metal balcony encircling it. After that, she'd have to climb up to the roof and go from there.

Trusting her balance and light tread, Ren raced towards the boxes, Kanbe only a few metres away from them himself.

It was only when he saw her jump for the first box that he realised what she was doing, and with a shout he too raced for the boxes.

Climbing as fast and as carefully as she could, Ren made her way up the boxes, the stack beginning to sway as she stood at the top and as Kanbe began to climb; as she looked down she thought he resembled a new-born foal, his hands and feet falling through the rotten boxes and getting stuck with every step he took.

Taking a deep breath and bending her knees as much as possible, Ren leapt for the balcony. She grunted as her hands grasped metal and she slammed into the balcony railing, only allowing herself a small sigh of relief before pulling herself up. But before she could get two feet on the railing her left foot was pulled down again, Ren giving a surprised cry as the sudden weight now hanging from her ankle caused her to lose her grip on the railing with one hand, her legs swaying in the empty air below her.

She heard the boxes topple in the alleyway below with a resounding _Crash!_ And as she looked down she saw Kanbe hanging on to her ankle, his teeth gritted and a fury igniting his eyes.

She looked up again with a panicked intake of breath as light suddenly streamed out from behind the curtains of the window above her. Whoever had been asleep before was now wide awake, and the curtains were suddenly flung back, Ren ducking her head and squinting her eyes at the bright light. She peered up to see an elderly woman looking out her window, a scrutinising look on her face as she examined the alleyway below. Fortunately, she must have had very poor sight as she paid no attention to the hand gripping the railing mere feet from her face, and Ren sighed with relief as the woman closed her curtains once again.

But Ren could hear her shouting to someone inside about the noise, and Ren was losing her grip on the railing, Kanbe dragging her down as she was unable to support both their weights; the old woman would soon come outside to investigate the noise, probably bringing someone with her, and Ren did not particularly want to be caught in the incriminating act of climbing the side of someone's house in the middle of the night.

Reaching up with her other hand she secured her grip on the railing once more, and she began to desperately swing her legs back and forth in an attempt to dislodge Kanbe. She eventually began to pick up momentum and the balcony was quite shallow, and so with one final swing Ren managed to _slam_ Kanbe into the wall.

Kanbe grunted as his face met bricks, releasing Ren's ankle and falling onto the boxes below with another loud grunt as dust and mould spores flew into the air around him. Yet more lights were turning on in the house as more noises were created, and Ren hastily pulled herself up onto the railing, making her way towards the roof as quickly as possible, using the large window frames and balconies as footholds. Just as she was reaching for the roof a light turned on on the other side of the doorway by the entrance to the alleyway, illuminating it in golden light, Kanbe still groaning and swearing as he struggled to get up from the wreckage of boxes below her.

Ren pulled herself up onto the roof, finally leaving Kanbe and the alleyway behind her and feeling a huge sense of relief over the fact her plan had worked; for the most part, anyway. She finally had time to gather her thoughts about the whole ordeal, and she rubbed her neck slightly, still feeling the phantom pain of having her air restricted almost to the point of choking, the memory causing her throat to restrict and her breath to become short like Kanbe's arm was still there.

Yet as she stepped away from the edge, her foot slipped on the rain-soaked tiles, causing her to lose her footing and take a step backwards; only, there was no roof behind her, just air.

Ren teetered on the edge, her arms and heart doing cartwheels as she desperately tried to regain her balance. She only had one foot on the edge of the rooftop, and a three storey drop faced her as gravity began to take hold, pulling her down, down, down. She couldn't regain her balance and she could feel herself beginning to fall, she couldn't stop her foot as it threatened to leave the only solid surface she was balancing on and her heart stopped as she looked down to the alleyway below that would be far too close far too quickly-

A hand suddenly clutched at her cartwheeling arm, halting her movement; the tension meant she was now perfectly balanced with one foot on the roof and her body leaning dangerously over the alleyway below, the other person holding her entire weight up.

She looked across at the stranger who stood securely on the roof and who clutched her arm with a gloved hand, her heart pounding in her chest as though it might give out at any moment and her eyes wide in both relief and shock; really, this was far too much stress for one night.

The stranger pulled at her arm, bringing her back to the roof and helping her to get a more secure footing on the tiles this time, much farther away from the edge. In the darkness Ren could make out the face of a young man, a few years older than her and a tad taller, wearing a strange hat with no top and flaps which came down to cover his ears, along with a large scarf which wrapped around his neck.

"Are you alright, Miss?" He asked.

"Yes…" Ren said, looking closer at her saviour, "But who-"

Suddenly she recognised his voice, the smirk on his face, the eyes which glinted in the dark like a cats' caught in lamplight. Her eyes widened in shock as she exclaimed:

" _Obi?!"_

She hadn't seen him since the burn incident, and his smirk only widened as he winked, saying "We should probably get out of here." He looked down to the street below and Ren followed his gaze, though she struggled not to burst out laughing at the sight she saw; Kanbe was currently being beaten on the head with a broom, wielded by the old women who had peered out of her curtains just a few minutes earlier, a bleary eyed and butch looking man standing watch over the frail old woman who was likely his mother.

Ren smirked, satisfied with Kanbe's punishment as the old woman continued hitting him with the broom, relentlessly admonishing him for destroying her crates and waking her from her beauty sleep. Turning back to Obi she nodded, and they made their across the rooftops of a still sleeping Wistal, the moon shining bright overhead.

Obi led the way and always offered Ren a hand when it came to jumping large gaps between roofs, but she almost always refused, managing to keep up with him as they ran across the terracotta tiles; though she was careful not to slip again. Soon they came to the edge of the city, settling on the roof of a house that was closest to the palace, catching their breath in the once more silent and peaceful night.

Sat near the roofs peak, the two thought in silence for a while before Ren said teasingly:

"So… Do you always skulk about rooftops at night or…?"

Obi laughed, saying "No. But everyone's asleep now and I'm the nocturnal type."

"Guess I'm lucky you decided to go on a run across the roofs tonight." Ren chuckled lightly, but then her tone turned more serious, "Thank you, by the way. I would've been a splat on the ground if it weren't for you."

"No problem Miss. I saw you in trouble earlier, but you seemed like you had it under control." He looked sideways at Ren with a smirk; he was clearly talking about Ren's knee to Kanbe's groin, and she chuckled slightly at that. "I decided to follow you from above anyway though. I was impressed you managed to get up here."

"Yes well, it was a little hit and miss. I've had plenty of practice climbing and jumping through trees in my lifetime, though as you saw… I'm not so used to roofs." They both laughed at that, though both were extremely relieved that Obi had been there to catch her.

A comfortable silence passed between the two, and Ren realised that the shadows that had been passing over the alleyways weren't really shadows at all; they had been Obi, jumping from one roof to the other and following her as she fled from Kanbe, like some kind of a ninja guardian angel. What she didn't know was that Obi had managed to spot her just before she turned the alleyway corner and got ambushed; it was pure luck, he had just been at the right place at the right time.

Obi, on the other hand, was remembering the few times he'd referred to her as simply 'Ren', with no 'Miss' in front of it. He rarely did that anymore, used to referring to Miss Shirayuki and Miss Kiki with that title, but he supposed it was because when he had first learnt Ren's name it had been over shared drinks in a rowdy alehouse, so he had been much more relaxed about talking with her. He would have to be a bit more watchful of himself from now on; he didn't want Ren to think he didn't respect her.

"Obi…" Ren started a little hesitantly, "I know I haven't been at the palace long but… no other messengers can jump across rooftops, nor do they carry throwing knives on them at all times." Obi was shocked by that, unconsciously touching the pouch they were stored in just underneath the back of his jacket. Ren laughed at his reaction:

"I can be quite perceptive sometimes, don't worry." After another pause, Ren looked down saying, "I understand if you can't tell me, but I am rather curious…"

It was strange, but Obi felt a strong comradery with this girl despite not knowing her for all that long. In fact, he thought Ren was as much as a mystery as he was; he didn't know where she came from, what her life had been like before Wistal, or what she hoped to achieve beyond her apprenticeship - perhaps she didn't know that herself. But what he did know was that she was brave and stood up for what she believed was right and just. That had been evident enough in her argument with that other candidate during the exam, and he remembered the trust she had placed in him simply based on his loyalty to a friend. It was only fair he put the same trust in her too.

"Whilst I'm officially Prince Zen's Royal Messenger, I am also charged with being Miss Shirayuki's bodyguard." As Obi spoke, Ren's head snapped up in surprise that he actually answered her; he had seemed very reserved to her, much like herself.

"That makes a little more sense." Ren said, smiling at Obi reassuringly and happy that he had put his trust her in; it would not go unrecognised.

Ren had heard the gossip about Prince Zen and Shirayuki; she had become friends with the Poets Gate guards, Kai and Shiira, and a few other servants from around the palace. She found it important to know what was happening, even if it was gossip and she had to take it with a pinch of salt, but she thought it was right for people to love whoever they should love, that you shouldn't judge a relationship just because of something silly like differing statuses. If they were happy she saw no problem with it, and she was quick to shoot down anyone who judged the two lovers (for that is what they clearly were), though she _did_ have to make sure not to snap at any noblemen or women from time to time; that would definitely get her into trouble.

She had become good friends with Kai and Shiira because of this, as they were big supporters of the Prince and Shirayuki's relationship (Kai talked about it an _awful_ lot, but his excited face made Ren smile, so she didn't mention that to him). Ren had also become good friends with Shirayuki, having discovered one morning that their rooms were close by when Shirayuki came out her door to go to work just as Ren did, recognising each other immediately. From that day forth they walked to work together as often as they could, chatting away till they had to part ways; one leaving for the forge, the other for the Court Herbalists.

Those were really the only times she saw Shirayuki, as the girl didn't often go down to the communal areas, but Ren treasured every moment of those morning walks with her; Shirayuki was such a kind and strong person, and though Ren couldn't understand why her face sometimes grew hot at the things Shirayuki said, or even why her heart beat would increase at Shirayuki's laugh, Ren didn't want any harm to come to the girl and so had made it her duty to admonish those who would badmouth her relationship with Prince Zen.

"Re- Miss Ren," Obi said, snapping her out of her reverie, "When I picked you up to carry you to the Court Herbalists… you seemed… sacred. If you don't mind me asking… why was that?" Obi looked over at her, but Ren's face was an odd mixture of shock, concern, worry and hesitation. Panicked he added, "You don't have to tell me anything or explain yourself of course! I just wanted to apologise in case I overstepped any of your bounds, Miss!"

"No no no! It was nothing, really! You didn't do anything wrong there's no need for you to apologize… well, it _was_ a shock you picking me up like that but it's not like you were to know or anything so…" Ren had been waving her hands about frantically as she had explained and ranted at Obi, but now she hugged her knees close to her chest and rested her chin on top of them. She had a sad and conflicted look in her eyes, and she seemed hesitant to say anything further about the matter.

After a long while, Obi was getting ready to change the subject to a more light-hearted one when Ren said, "It's… it's difficult for me to explain but… you have a right to know and you put your trust in me earlier, so it's only fair I do the same. Plus you saved my life today."

Obi turned to face her completely, his brows furrowing as he said quietly, "But that was only about my job, this feels more personal to you… you really don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I wouldn't find it unfair at all. All I did was catch you, you had it covered." He smiled softly at her as she tilted her head to look at him, and she returned his smile.

"You're very kind, Obi," his brows raised and his eyes widened, but Ren continued, "But I _want_ to tell you."

Regaining his composure Obi nodded, listening attentively as she spoke, "The reason I was frightened when you picked me up is that… touch is something very important to me, and I didn't know you all that well so it was a shock to me for you to do something so… so…" She sighed, frustrated at her inability to explain this to someone; she had never tried before. "…For you to do something that to _me_ is very personal and cherished. I've never been very good with words, so I show my affection and comfortableness through touch. I usually only shake a strangers hand… though I've become a lot more relaxed since coming to Wistal." She looked at her hands, holding them open before her eyes, "When I touch someone, it's because I care for them and I want them to _know_ that I care for them. I feel like when I touch someone, I convey those emotions _through_ that physical connection, even if I'm only touching their shoulder for the briefest of seconds… Does that make sense?"

Ren looked up, worried to see Obi's reaction: would he laugh at her? Would he call her ridiculous or an idiot? Or would he simply walk away and never want to talk to her again, avoiding her for the rest of their lives?

But all she saw was a soft smile and a gentle understanding in his eyes. It was almost jarring, he looked like a completely different person to his usual smirk and joking tone; he was always so carefree, and Ren wondered at how the two of them had become so comfortable with each other so quickly - she had told him something she'd never told anyone before, not even her parents, and he had revealed a softer, almost vulnerable side to himself that he usually kept guarded behind that joyous exterior. Ren doubted it made an appearance that often, and it only strengthened the feeling of trust and comradery she had with this boy.

"It makes perfect sense," he said, "I will make sure not to do something like that again, Miss Ren." He gave a grandiose bow, which made Ren laugh seeing as he was doing it whilst sitting down and it looked rather silly.

"Yes, well…" Ren said, sitting up again and a smile upon her face, "Don't let it stop you from catching me again when I fall off a roof."

"Haha! I'll certainly try, Miss, but I can make no promises." He laughed and raised his brow as he said, "Do you plan on falling off any more roofs tonight? Just so I can prepare."

They both burst out laughing and Ren hit him on the arm lightly before resting her hand on his shoulder as she struggled to control her giggles and shook her head; the gesture did not go unnoticed by Obi, and he smiled widely, now knowing the importance behind such a simple thing.

Once their laughs had subsided Obi stood and stretched his back languidly.

"Right then," he said, "Let's head back up to the palace. We can walk there on the ground if you like, no threat of falling off anything that way." He grinned mischievously, and it was almost like a dare to Ren.

One she accepted:

"No way." She said, also standing up, "The trees are _my_ domain."

The two smirked at each other, the competition set. Almost in sync the two leapt from the rooftop and into the treeline, racing towards Wistal Palace with nothing but the moon to light their way, the leaves barely rustling as the two darted through the trees with grins on their faces; it had been a night where two people, usually both guarded and secretive, had opened up to one another and found a friend in which they could trust inexplicably.

But the workings of fate had only just begun.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was one I was particularly looking forward to writing. A bit of action, a bit of humour, a bit of angst... There was more planned for this chapter, but it would have been FAR too long, so I'll just have to make it one on its own. Thank you to everyone who has favourited, followed and reviewed, your support means everything to me. I hope your all having a good start to the year! I am swamped with art coursework as usual which I should be doing rn lol (save me), but I have been accepted onto my course for next year, yay! (I'm doing an Art Foundation, so I get to do art 9-5, 5 days a week, every week for a year! I'm crazy I know.)  
NEWS: I have plans to write a collection of oneshots/inserts for this fic which are RenxObi orientated. If you like this idea let me know (for the purposes of the oneshot/inserts Ren will be bisexual, meaning her romances with women in this fic are still true and make sense character wise).  
**

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 **Thank you to _Mkchief34_ , _Guest_ , _Guest:Alya_ and _slyKat28_ for your reviews! I am glad you are enjoying it and I hope you enjoyed this chapter too! I am very happy to know you like the development of my story and the way I write :D**

 _ **NarniaRoyalNavy123:**_ **What can I say, I just love my descriptions ;)**

 **I say this every time but thank you so much for reading, and tell me which parts of this chapter you liked the most! I'm very curious to know.  
So whether you liked what you read or not...**

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

 **-Limegreenarcher**


	11. Chapter 11: A Fated Meeting

The very next morning, Prince Zen found himself standing in his Lord Brother's study. The room was filled with a tense and almost tangible silence, the monotonous ticking of a clock the only thing breaking it, and Zen struggled to keep the confusion and irritation off his face as he looked at his brother sitting languidly at his desk chair, seemingly as relaxed as can be despite the atmosphere; though, that could have been because Izana was the one _creating_ the atmosphere.

Zen wondered what his brother wanted with him; he couldn't help but feel a little anxious, as it wasn't often Izana requested to see him in person out of the blue like this, but he had Kiki and Mitsuhide standing strong behind him, and he welcomed the support their presences gave.

Yet it irked Zen that his brother, after going to all the effort of summoning him here, had his attention trained on a document he held in his hand, and had been ignoring Zen ever since he had come into the room. The ticking of the clock felt more like the banging of a drum in the silent room, and it made them all hyper-aware of the time that was passing them by as they continued to stand before Izana's desk. Just as Zen was beginning to lose his composure, and his mind, Izana seemed to finish reading the document in his hand as finally he said:

"Zen. I need you to go down to the Court Blacksmiths and get yourself a new ceremonial sword."

The curt and fairly odd sentence threw Zen off for a few moments, but he quickly mustered a reply; "A new sword? I beg your pardon Lord Brother, but I already have a ceremonial sword. It was only made a few years ago by the Court Blacksmith."

"Yes, but I think it's about high time you got yourself a new one. I hear the Court Blacksmiths new apprentice has quite the talent for making ceremonial swords."

Zen wasn't sure as to why his brother was mentioning the blacksmiths apprentice, but decided it was best not to argue with him on such a trivial matter; it would only lead to frustration on his end.

Holding in a sigh Zen said, "I'll have my current sword sent down to the Blacksmiths today, Lord-"

"I apologize for the interruption Zen, but you must have misheard me before." Izana said, a small smile on his face. "I requested that _you_ go down to the Court Blacksmiths. In person."

A long moment passed as Zen struggled to find the right words; his brother seemed set on making him go down there, but he couldn't possibly fathom why-

The confusion must have shown on his face as Izana simply smiled wider, and continued his spiel:

"I am only thinking of you Zen. After all, you seem to enjoy interacting with the palace staff, and I thought you might want to meet the Blacksmiths new apprentice. She's around your age, and I've heard her hair is half green… quite fascinating really. Don't you think?"

Zen struggled to keep the anger of his face as his jaw clenched slightly, and both Kiki and Mitsuhide bristled at Izana's insinuation; he was quite clearly referring to Shirayuki, and his tone of voice made it sound as though he was accusing Zen of going after servant girls with strange hair as if they were nothing.

Whether or not Izana really believed that, none of them were sure, but they all knew it was more than likely just the Prince trying to get a rise out of his younger brother. And the easiest way to do that, was to disrespect Shirayuki.

"I will go in person to the Court Blacksmiths at once. Is there anything else you need of me, Lord Brother?" Zen said rigidly, trying not to grit his teeth too much.

"No," Izana said with a small but triumphant smirk, "That will be all."

Zen bowed slightly to his brother, Kiki and Mitsuhide following suit before they all walked out of the study. But even after the heavy doors had closed behind them, none of them could relax completely until they were about ten metres away from it.

Obi was waiting for them at the end of the hall, leaning against the wall and staring at nothing; when he saw them approaching he straightened, joining them on their journey as they passed him.

"So, how was the meeting? Did it go well?" Obi asked with a slight smirk.

"About as well as can be expected…" Zen grumbled lightly.

"…Where are we headed?" Obi asked; there was clearly a destination in mind judging from the way they stepped, and something was on their minds as well. Most likely whatever Izana had said to them.

"The Court Blacksmiths." Obi raised a brow as Zen continued, "My brother thinks I need a new ceremonial sword… and he apparently wants me to meet the blacksmiths new apprentice."

Obi suddenly found he was walking alone; the rest of the group had stopped in the hallway, and they all had slight winces on their faces, as well as looks of realisation. Obi raised a brow in confusion, but he soon realised what they had suddenly remembered; the court blacksmiths apprentice, the one with half green hair… was the one that had almost run them all over with her horse just a few weeks back.

"The rider from the forest…" Mitsuhide groaned slightly, his shoulders and head slumped in exasperation. He then continued, raising his head slightly. "Do you think she knows it was us?"

"I doubt she would have kept riding if she knew she'd run over the Prince." Kiki reasoned, her exasperation having faded slightly quicker than the other twos.

"Ugh…" Zen groaned, "Let's just get this over with." He was still in a bad mood from the meeting with his brother, and he certainly wasn't feeling up to dealing with the person who had so rudely interrupted their walk the other day, but he had his orders. He just hoped they wouldn't be there for long.

Yet Obi simply smirked, and in his usual joking tone with a small nudge of the elbow he said:

"At least you'll finally get a good look at her, eh Master?"

* * *

It didn't take the group long after that to reach the Palace Forge. They stood together in the entryway, a large space that seemed rather small due to sheer amount of clutter in the room, and eventually Kiki spotted a small, ornate hand bell; the intricate decoration on the metal bell had worn away over time, and there was dirt and dust ingrained into the small grooves still remaining. It wasn't dirty, per say, simply aged, like a centuries old cathedral or an antique you would find in the ruins of a forgotten building.

In fact, the whole forge held that aged feel to it; it was a stark contrast to the rest of the palace, which was always clean and fit for the occupation of a Royal Family and visiting nobles. But the forge of Wistal Palace felt… almost homely, in a way, as though anyone in the world could walk in and they would be immediately welcomed with the warmth of many roaring fires and a crushing hug from the Blacksmith himself (which was indeed usually the case when anyone visited the forge).

The atmosphere immediately put everyone at ease, helping them to release the tension they had been holding since the meeting with Izana, despite the loud, monotonous _Clang!_ _Clang! Clang!_ of hammers on cooling metal coming from the room just past the entryway, the sound reverberating throughout the building and one that could always be heard in the forge.

Even though he had been here many a time before, Obi found himself curiously looking about the room as Kiki rang the bell loudly in order for it to be heard above the noisy metal.

Every time Obi came here he always found something new to look at; he had never said it aloud, but he really loved coming to the forge. It was never boring here; there was always something happening or something to look at, and the Blacksmiths company was always entertaining.

Decades of history was stored in this entryway; that's what the Blacksmith had told him, anyway, and it was difficult not to believe him. Worktops lined the outer walls along with sturdy shelves and cabinets, a huge oaken bench occupying the middle of the room.

Not that you could really see any of these surfaces, that is. A myriad of both old and new objects littered every corner of the room; from random forge tools and measuring devices, to ornate candle holders with burnt out candles in them, to various weapons, both finished and unfinished, carelessly left amongst the clutter, to quills and half empty bottles of dried up ink, to chipped plates with the crumbs of yesterday's lunch on them, to a stove kettle with an assortment of odd teacups surrounding it, the plain or patterned surfaces stained with tea from years of use.

The tea leaves themselves were stored in a ceramic jar in one of the open cabinets, balanced atop a stack of books which seemed unsturdy at the best of times. There were quite possibly hundreds of books and scrolls in this one room; leather bound books detailing the ins and outs of the forge machinery, their pages littered with small holes left by flying sparks, their covers roughened with age and use, their spines broken and corners bent or torn. There were books that went all the way back to when the forge was first built, detailing every order made, who it was for, what it was made of, who crafted it, all the measurements used and the cost of it, written in meticulous notes whose ink had begun to fade to brown through time alone.

There were also loosely rolled scrolls all stacked high in one of the corners of the room, their edges frayed and bleached by the sun coming from the nearby window, its latticed frame casting a shadow on the bench below. These scrolls contained all the designs drawn by every Palace Blacksmith, and some sat amongst the clutter on the worktops, held open by loose horseshoes or pinned to the table with a small dagger, being used as a reference even now.

Of course, there were many loose pieces of parchment as well, and there were many scrunched up balls of parchment littering both the worktops and the floor; failed designs that had been discarded without much thought, the blacksmith soon moving on to another idea in haste. Many of these were discarded around a fairly clear space beneath one of the windows; a quill and capped ink pot sat nearby, as well as several books which lay open or had small pieces of ribbon in marking certain pages, and the space was occupied by one large, ancient tome. The tome clearly hadn't been opened in years, as a half-melted candle sat atop one of it corners with no holder beneath it, the hardened wax having dripped over the edges and onto the wood beneath; it had been there a long time, and was likely stuck to the tome itself now.

This small area was one of the things Obi noticed was new about the forge; before, the tome and its candle had been caked in layers of dust, but it now seemed as though someone were using the area as a desk of sorts. The other change Obi noticed was the olive-green cloak which hung on the iron coat stand by the door, along with a leather belt which had many pouches attached to it.

Obi smiled slightly; he recognised these objects as Ren's, and he didn't doubt that the space by the window was one that she had claimed for herself.

Surprisingly, this part of the forge was cleaner than the rest, having to be used for any visitors or customers who wanted to see the Blacksmith; suffice to say, Otsu wasn't too bothered about outward appearances, and seeing as not many nobles ever visited the forge themselves, he was left to decorate as he pleased.

The clanging sounds from the adjacent forge lessened slightly, and soon the large, lumbering form of the Court Blacksmith appeared from the open archway. When he saw his visitors he smiled widely and warmly, wiping his hands on a blackened cloth as he said in his usual friendly tone:

"Ah Prince Zen, what brings you down here? Does your sword need sharpening?"

"No, not this time." Zen said with a smile, "I'm actually here for a new ceremonial sword." Otsu's eyes widened slightly in surprise, his brows furrowing in confusion, and seeing this Zen explained further, "My Lord Brother sent me."

That was the only explanation Otsu needed, and his expression quickly changed from confusion to realisation.

"I see…" Otsu said, his kind smile returning to his face, "Well, I'm afraid I can't take on too much work right now, my arms only just healed, and I'm on strict orders from the Chief Herbalist herself not to put too much stress on it. However…" His smile widened. "I see no reason as to why my apprentice can't do it for you, Prince Zen."

Before anyone could say a word, Otsu let out a shout so loud and so sudden that it hurt the ears of those stood before him: _"REN!"_

"YEAH?!" A voice replied from the forge, almost as loudly, the clanging stopping completely for a moment.

"I've got a job for you, get in here!" Otsu said, only slightly quieter than before.

"Alright! One second!" The voice shouted back. As the group heard the muffled clattering of tools being put down and work being put on pause, Otsu simply continued to smile at them as though nothing had happened.

Soon enough Ren emerged from the archway, her head down as she focused on wiping her hands on another blackened cloth; a small piece of soot was streaked across her forehead where she had accidently rubbed it with her hand whilst working, and as she approached the group she asked:

"So what's this 'job'? It's not making you tea again, is it? You know how well that ended last time-"

Her sentence came to a sudden halt, as by that time she had reached Otsu and upon doing so had finally looked up, seeing that they had visitors. And not just ordinary visitors.

"Ren, this is Prin-"

"Prince Zen!" Ren said, interrupting Otsu's introductions. The shock, and embarrassment over her entrance, was evident on her face and she quickly bowed, saying in a hurried manner, "I-I didn't know you were here! I'm so sorry, please excuse me for my brash entrance, I would not have been so rude had I known you were here…" At her final sentence Ren sent Otsu a sideways glare from her bowed position, but the blacksmith payed no heed to it and carried on, completely unfazed by his apprentice's anger.

"This is Ren, my apprentice." Otsu said, pride in his voice and his wide smile causing the corners of his eyes to wrinkle slightly. He ruffled Ren's hair as she stood up straight again, and she batted his hand away; yet she had a small smile on her face from the now familiar action. Otsu continued, "I'm putting her in charge of designing and making your ceremonial sword, your Highness."

"What?!" Ren cried, spinning towards Otsu with wide eyes, her shoulders tense and mouth slightly agape. She carried on in a whisper, "Otsu, I can't make a ceremonial sword for _Prince Zen_!"

It wasn't that Ren didn't know how to make a good ceremonial sword – heck, it was the whole reason she'd got this job in the first place! -but making a ceremonial sword for a _Prince_ was a whole different matter altogether! A Princes ceremonial sword was a symbol of status, of wealth, and of their countries craftmanship. Only the best blacksmiths in the _country_ were ever hired to make a Princes ceremonial sword. It was a way in which the Royal Family could present their countries prowess in metalwork, and whilst it may not seem like much, a ceremonial sword was crucial to the outward appearance of a noble in ceremonies, particularly when visiting other countries. They demanded great skill and many hours to complete.

And Ren didn't think she was quite ready for that kind of responsibility yet. Otsu, however, did:

"Of course you can! There's no time limit, you'll be fine. And Prince Zen here is very understanding." The two blacksmiths looked towards the boy in question, who had previously had a look of slight confusion on his face, but who now smiled and nodded at Ren in reassurance.

Even so, Ren's lips pressed together and skewed slightly in uncertainty, her eyes looking at the ground, her shoulders remaining hunched with tension as she hummed slightly, trying to think of what to say.

Otsu's eyes took on a mischievous glint as he looked at Ren and said, "If you do this well and to Prince Zen's approval, you'll be one step closer to becoming a fully-fledged Court Blacksmith."

Ren's eyes widened at this, but they soon narrowed in slight suspicion as she turned her head just enough to look at Otsu, "…Really?"

"Mhmm," Otsu hummed, knowing that her determination to learn and succeed outweighed her fears of her own inability, even if it was just by a fractional amount. "You've more than proved yourself so far, but there's just a few more things I need you to learn. After all, I can't be expected to graduate you after just a few months!" Otsu laughed deeply and whole heartedly at this as he once again ruffled Ren's hair, his chest lightly bouncing up and down with his laughter, the infectious rumbling putting a smile on everyone's faces.

Ren however, had her lips parted slightly in a small 'o', and was frequently blinking in an attempt to stop herself from phasing out completely. She hadn't even noticed Otsu ruffling her hair, and everyone's smiles simply widened at seeing her reaction; they could all tell how much it meant to her.

Otsu coughed loudly into his fist, smiling all the while as the sound snapped Ren out of her stupor.

"Right!" Ren exclaimed with a small jolt, her eyes focusing once again as she concentrated on the task at hand, "Prince Zen if you would follow me please."

Without waiting for a reply Ren wandered back into the forge, Zen, Kiki and Mitsuhide following behind her as she counted off each of the necessary stages on her fingers whilst mumbling to herself under her breath.

She quickly cleared a surface, pushing all the clutter to the side and grabbing a set of scales from the midst of it before also finding a few scraps of spare parchment and a pencil; Ren had grown quite adapt at finding what she needed amongst the clutter of the forge, and so she didn't take all that much notice of the mess anymore. It shocked the trio how easily and quickly she could find what she needed, and all on the one workbench!

"I only need to take a few of your measurements Prince Zen, and then write down the dimensions and weight of your current ceremonial sword, unless you want them altered. Though, I can't see why you needed to come down here yourself for it…" Ren explained, trailing off at the end.

"That makes two of us." Zen mumbled, glancing off to the side and not entirely meaning for Ren to hear it.

But she had, and before he could say anything else she laughed lightly, saying, "Don't worry, I won't keep you here long." She had been looking for a tape measure, and so had missed Zen's slightly shocked expression, but upon not being able to find one Ren continued, saying "Excuse me for a moment, I'm just going to look for a tape measure. I'll be right back."

* * *

Obi and Otsu stood in the archway to the forge, watching as Ren excused herself to go and fetch something from the back room. Otsu lowered his voice, and the two had a conversation under their breaths as they observed the interactions before them.

"How are those new throwing knives treating you?" Otsu asked, never taking his eyes off of the group in the forge.

"I haven't had the chance to use them properly yet, but the balance feels good." Obi replied, following suit and watching Zen and the others wait for Ren's return.

Otsu smiled slightly, "Glad to hear it. You let me know if you need anything else sharpened or made, alright? We wouldn't want your tools letting you down whilst your guarding."

"No, we definitely wouldn't…" Obi said with a light chuckle, "And sure thing Otsu, you're my number one Blacksmith."

"Well, that may soon change." Otsu said, pausing for a moment as the two watched Ren return with a tape measure in hand, rolling it out and soon using it to measure Zen's height. When Otsu next spoke, his voice held a shade more affection than before, almost like a father talking fondly about his daughter. "You can trust her, you know. Honour and loyalty are important to her. And she can keep secrets." Otsu chuckled a little at that, adding almost as an afterthought, "She keeps some about herself, I'm sure."

Obi thought for a moment, and then gently smiled, "Yeah. I know." He was recalling the previous night on the rooftops of Wistal, of how Ren had confided in him something she had never told anyone before, and of how he felt he could trust her inexplicably. He hadn't needed Otsu to tell him that he could trust her, he already knew it.

There was a long pause then in the conversation between the two as they watched the group of four before them, but when Otsu did speak again, his voice was uncharacteristically solemn and thoughtful, and there was a strange note of seriousness to it which also lingered in his eyes, but did not quite reach his near constant smile:

"You kids' fates are intertwined, you know. Shirayuki's too. You'll need each other, when the time comes."

Otsu spoke as if these were hard facts, and though he was still talking beneath his breath Obi heard the words loud and clear; he couldn't help but feel as though these were words of great importance, almost like how the prophecies of old could predict a hero's fate, and what the outcome of their quest would be. Obi felt as though something in the world had become cemented in time with Otsu's words, as though the course of fate had been decided and could not be changed nor averted now.

Despite his instincts, Obi couldn't quite believe what Otsu had said, nor what had caused him to say such a thing in the first place. He turned his head to look up at the hulking man in surprise and bewilderment:

"But Ren hardly knows any of us; she's not been here all that long." Whilst Obi was sure Ren and Shirayuki would become friends, and that the deep sense of trust he had in her would only deepen, he saw no reason as to why Ren would further interact with Zen and the others; why would there ever be a situation in which a blacksmiths fate and a Princes fate were intertwined?

Otsu continued to watch the group in the forge with a smile on his face, unperturbed by Obi's questions and saying in the same tone as before: "And yet you all met on her very first day here in Wistal. And you keep doing so since, even if you don't always realise it."

Obi's thoughts were going a mile a minute, and the blacksmiths words had left him speechless. They had indeed all met on Open Castle Day, and all but Shirayuki had witnessed Ren's argument with another blacksmith candidate, only a few days afterward; only Obi had known who she was, and he doubted Ren knew it had been them. He remembered how Mitsuhide had seen her at the stables, and how he himself had seen Ren and Shirayuki walking to their respective work places together one morning. He recalled how she had nearly run them all down in the forest, and how he had been so relieved by the fact he had managed to spot Ren the other night before she was attacked, supposedly by just good luck and coincidence.

But… perhaps it _hadn't_ just been coincidence… perhaps none of it had.

Before Obi could dwell on it any further however, Otsu turned to look at him. All of a sudden, the serious note left his eyes completely and he laughed deeply, slapping Obi on the back and making the younger man jolt forward slightly from the shock.

"Ah, just the ramblings of a crazy fool!" Otsu said, his eyes closed as he continued to laugh as he spoke, "You kids'll figure things out I'm sure."

It was as though the change had never happened; all traces of the prophetic blacksmith had disappeared, and he was once again his usual, jolly self. But Obi was prevented from thinking on it any further.

"You ready to get back to work, Obi?" He turned his head and found that Zen was now standing before him, Kiki and Mitsuhide behind him with Ren at the back; Zen had an eyebrow raised at him, and was the one who had spoken, and so Obi placed a smirk on his face before saying:

"Of course, Master. Lead the way." He bowed dramatically, and waited for Zen and the others to pass him before following them to the door. He looked at Otsu one last time before he left; there was nothing unusual now about the Court Blacksmith or the forge he stood in, but the words he had said echoed in the back of Obi's mind as the door closed behind him.

* * *

Ren made her way to the large storage cupboard at the back of the forge; she was sure she had seen a tape measure in there amongst all of the other bits and bobs just yesterday…

As she stepped into the cramped room she recalled the time she had first discovered this storage cupboard, and the pair of bookshelves filled to the brim with tomes and texts that lay hidden within.

"Otsu," She had called out to him when sent her in to fetch a polishing rag one day, "You didn't tell me there were more books on blacksmithing in here."

Otsu had come to the doorway upon hearing his name, but he had just waved his hand dismissively and said, "I haven't used these books in years, and besides, it's much better to learn by doing something than by reading it in some book. There's nothing quite like learning by using your hands in the forge itself."

Whilst it was true there were many books laying around in the clutter of the forge, none of them appeared to have been opened in many years; Ren suspected Otsu just left them out as there was nowhere else to put them, and in all honesty Ren agreed with his sentiment about learning by doing and not reading.

She'd never had much access to books in her village, especially ones of this quality, and so she wasn't the best at reading, but even so she found herself walking up the aisle of the cupboard and ghosting her fingertips across the aged leather-bound spines. As she did this she had realised that the majority of these books were on jewellery making and silversmithing; she had stopped in surprise, turning to Otsu who still stood in the doorway and said:

"I didn't realise you made jewellery for the Royal family."

"I don't," Otsu said with a light shrug and a smile, "My hands are far too big and clumsy to do all of that intricate detail. Lucky for me though the Royal family aren't in need of any bespoke jewellery right now; the Princes have no wives to gift it too or fiancés to propose to, and so they outsource anything they need at the moment. Though, someday that will change… maybe soon." Otsu finished thoughtfully, thinking of Prince Zen and his beloved as he walked back to his work in the forge.

Ren's heart beat faster at the thought of learning more than she had thought she would in coming here, and picking out a book from the self she called out to Otsu, "Can I borrow one of these books and use some scrap to experiment with?"

"Sure thing!" Otsu shouted back, "But you'll have to do it in your own time after hours, and I'm afraid I can't help you much! As long as you keep the forge tidy, you can come work in here!"

Ren had laughed at that; seeing as Otsu's definition of 'tidy' was the mess the forge was currently in, she didn't think that would be too difficult.

Ren smiled at the memory as she passed the small gap in the bookshelf, seeing it from the corner of her eye as she grabbed the tape measure laying nearby. She walked back out to the forge, where the group of three were waiting for her.

"Okay Prince Zen," Ren said, rolling out the tape measure as she stood in front of him, "If you'll just stand up straight for me please…" As Zen did as he was instructed, Ren looked around him to the pair standing a little way behind him, "Excuse me, but could one of you-" Her eyes suddenly widened, and her mouth hung slightly agape as she stared at the two aides. "Oh my god." She said quietly, starting to pull on fingers, tape measure still in hand. "I-I am so rude! I didn't give you the chance to introduce yourselves I am so sorry-" Ren moved around Zen, leaving him behind and walking towards Kiki and Mitsuhide as the tape measure dragged along the floor, "Please forgive me, I was so focused on my work that I completely forgot I didn't know your names! I am so sorry." Ren's hands gestured slightly as she spoke, trying to stop herself from getting completely flustered.

But Kiki and Mitsuhide just stood there in shock; Ren had completely abandoned Zen and her work just to ask for their names, without saying a thing to the Prince, who was now looking over his shoulder with slightly wide eyes and a raised brow. Ren was looking at the pair expectantly now, her fingers twisting together and tangling in the tape measure with more and more intensity the longer she waited for an answer. She raised a brow in confusion as she noticed that the two were simply looking at her in shock, but it was Kiki who first managed to shake herself out of it:

"Kiki." She said with a small smile and a quick nod.

Ren returned the nod and smile, turning to face Mitsuhide, who still had a look of shock on his face. When it seemed like he still wasn't going to give her an answer, Kiki quickly jabbed him in the ribs, making the man jump slightly and say, "Mitsuhide."

Ren nodded to them, her tangled fingers relaxing as she said, "It's a pleasure to meet you both. Please accept my apologies for my rudeness earlier." She bowed her head slightly, and after she'd received another nod from them both she turned back around, "Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Could one of you hold this at the top of Zen's head for me please?" She asked over her shoulder as she finished, coming to stand back at Zen's side once more. The trio were once again surprised, as Ren had forgotten to use any honorifics when addressing Zen; she was clearly completely focused on her work, and so had forgotten something that to her was fairly trivial.

Mitsuhide stepped forward, mumbling "Sure thing." As he came forward to take the end of the tape measure from her and to hold it at the top of Zen's head. Both boys were studying Ren as she knelt down after saying a quick thank you, making the tape measure taught at the bottom of Zen's feet; Kiki rolled her eyes at their subtlety.

"Okay, you can let go now." Ren said, waiting for Mitsuhide to do so before going to write down the measurement on the parchment she had found. She then proceeded to measure Zen's arm from wrist to shoulder, his height from both his armpit to his feet and from his naval to his feet, as well as the measurement around his waist, instructing Zen to move whenever she needed him too.

Ren then asked for Zen's current ceremonial sword, which they had fetched on their way here, and drawing it from his scabbard Zen gave it to her. Ren studied the blade for a while, testing its balance in her hands and looking closely at every section of it in detail before she said:

"This sword hasn't seen all that much use… but it's not been properly cared for either." Ren looked at Zen with slightly narrowed eyes, her voice holding a slightly admonishing tone to it, "I hope your other sword is in better condition." But she then chuckled and said, "Though, I'm sure I would've seen far worse before."

Zen's once tense shoulders relaxed again at that, and Kiki curiously asked:

"How long have you been a blacksmith for, Ren?"

"Five years now." Ren replied, delicately placing the sword onto the scales that stood on the nearby workbench. "But I grew up in my family's forge, so I've always been around blacksmithing. Why?"

"You just seem to know what you're talking about, that's all." Kiki said.

"It's my passion." Ren said with pride and a slight shrug, writing down the weight of the blade, "After all, I did come all the way here just so that I could learn all that I could from the very best. I'd never left my village or the forest surrounding it before."

"What?" Zen exclaimed, "Never?"

The trio were now all standing around the end of the bench near to where Ren was working, all interested in learning more about the girl who had nearly run them down with a horse.

"Nope. Not once." Ren said, a hint of sadness creeping into her voice as she looked down at the bench in front of her.

"You must have worked hard to get here." Kiki said gently, pointedly looking at all the small scars and old burn marks on her hands and lower arms.

Seeing this Ren too looked at her scarred hands, lifting one off the bench as a smile took over her face, "Yeah, I guess all these are proof of that. I've gotten them throughout my training as a blacksmith, but thanks to Shirayuki and the Court Herbalists here, I don't think I'll be getting many more." She giggled slightly, looking at the spot on her wrist where she had badly burnt herself and that had been treated by Shirayuki; there was now but the faintest of marks on her skin, and Ren knew that she wouldn't be getting any more burn scars whilst she was here.

Ren realised that she had become rather lost in the conversation, and had forgotten about her work; with a quick shake of her head she lowered her hand, her work demeanour back as she handed Zen his sword, saying "That's all done! All I need to know now is if there are any motifs you want included in the blade."

The request took Zen by surprise, and he thought for a few moments before finally saying, "Apples."

"Huh?" The rest of them said in bewilderment, eyebrows raised.

"Red apples." Zen continued, "Or just apples or the colour red, would be great." Zen was now blushing slightly as he looked off to the side, rubbing the back of his head. Kiki and Mitsuhide smiled, now understanding his request, but Ren still stood there confused.

"Okay…" Ren said, writing down his strange request, "Anything else?"

"Nope." Zen quickly replied, his blush persisting. Yet he did manage to look at Ren as he said with a slightly calmer tone, "Just the Wisteria sigil on the scabbard, and that's it."

After Ren took a note she looked at them with a smile, rolling up the tape measure she had discarded on the table as she said, "Well then, I'll let you return to your duties. I'll send up my designs for your approval once I'm done."

Zen's blush had finally faded, and Kiki and Mitsuhide were still trying not to smile too hard at their friend as he swallowed and nodded his head, standing up straight and saying in a formal tone, "Thank you for your time, Ren. And there is no rush, you may take as long as you may need."

"Of course, thank you." Ren said, bowing slightly. Though she quickly added, almost as an afterthought, "Your Highness!"

The trio smiled at her, Zen nodding to her before they all turned to leave, Ren following behind them.

"You ready to get back to work, Obi?"

* * *

Once they had all left, Ren found herself tidying away the scales and preparing to get back to the work she had been doing before they had arrived. Ren had seen Otsu wink at Obi before the group had left the forge, and whilst it confused Ren and made her wonder what conversation they had been having, she dismissed it; Otsu was a strange, jolly guy, and it was probably just some inside joke he had with Obi, so it wasn't worth thinking about.

Yet, it was as she was looking over the notes she had taken for Zen's new ceremonial sword that she realised something; Zen had requested apples and the colour red because of Shirayuki's hair.

At the thought of hair Ren's heart suddenly stopped, her eyes widened and her jaw became slack. It was as though she were having a sudden epiphany, like all the dots had suddenly connected in her mind.

It was _them_ she had almost run over with Buttercup in the woods the other day; it was _them_ that had been at Open Castle Day and it was _them_ that had been on the balcony during that day of her exam, par Shirayuki. It was Zen that had been the white-haired Knight on stage during the play, defending Shirayuki. And Ren thought it was highly likely that it had been Kiki who had seen her shooting in the woods; she recognised her voice now, and the height and stature were exactly the same.

 _I almost ran over a_ Prince _…_ Ren thought in despair and shock _, And Obi and Shirayuki to boot! Not to mention two of the highest-ranking guards in the whole Palace!_

Ren stood rigidly at her bench as she thought this, and Otsu happily walked by, humming to himself as he merrily said, "Time to get back to work then!"

Ren slumped onto the bench beneath her, wishing the wood or the floor, or anything, would swallow her up whole as she pressed her face against the hard surface, groaning slightly and feeling as though she were about to disintegrate from the embarrassment, shock, and despair of it all.

Otsu however, just continued to merrily walk by, laughing without having to turn back and look at his apprentice, fully knowing the situation and realisation she had just had.

* * *

 **A/N: ... Oh jeez. Been a while, hasn't it? Haha... Oh dear. I am SO SORRY. I promise I did not intend it to be this long, and I hope this chapter was worth the wait (can you guys even remember me and Ren anymore?). My Art A-Level took over my entire life (but I got an A so it was totally worth it) and I was gonna update once college finished but then I was weirdly busy and I honestly haven't had much time this summer (though I managed to start a new fic... which is a TERRIBLE idea). I know you don't want to hear excuses but I can only apologise, and I go back to college in a few weeks so I can't promise an update any time soon (I'm doing intense art 9-5 everyday for a year so... yeah).  
I havent stopped thinking about this fic though, I even imagine its own opening based on the op to Noragami, with Ren as Yato, Obi as Yukine, and Shirayuki as Hiyori. But never mind that. Also I missed the one year anniversary of this, my first fic, being published... oh how I sigh at myself.**

 **However, _NEWS_ , I do know how this fic is going to end! Yay! We're in for the long run folks! Essentially I've split it into five arcs and we're just coming up to the end of the first arc now. Arc 2 will be based around season 2 of the anime, the rest is just my brain (I still haven't read the manga, in case anyone was wondering).  
The oneshots will be going on ahead (I dedicate them to you, _Guest_ , who was the only one to respond apart from people asking for something of the like in earlier chapters) and they will be titled _'Green is the Colour of RenxObi'_ but I will remind on when I publish the first one of those for the people who want to read them.**

 **Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed, your continual support means so much to me, and your reviews especially got me motivated (I kept putting this chapter off because I wasn't sure how to write Izana at the beginning and my muse wasn't cooperating).**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Thank you to _Guest_ , _CutieChante_ , _NarniaRoyalNavy123_ , _Guest_ , _Stuntman W_ , _lizziecats_ , _Guest_ and _moonlight46_. I'm so happy you enjoy my story, and I cant thank you enough for the reviews you leave. Thank you so much, and it makes me smile every time I read that you enjoy Ren and Obi's relationship and Ren herself as a character. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**

 _ **Alex-senpai :**_ **I can honestly say I read your reviews (especially) over and over, I cant thank you enough for the detail you put in them. Descriptions are a favourite of mine, and sometimes I think I go overboard, but I'm so glad you enjoy them! There will be plenty more scenes with Ren and Obi, their friendship is the main focus of this story. And RenxShirayuki was the flavour I was going for in that chapter... what can I say, I like writing about ships that arnt canon... haha... :'/**

 _ **Guest: Ayla:**_ **I have recieved both reviews (your second came in just as I was writing this A/N lol) and I thank you for both. Hows the house? You'll probably be all settled in now after this long lol. I'm so glad to hear my silly story cheered you up so much! And I know... its been so long, I cant stop apologising for that. But, I am far too stubborn to give up and I am determined to see this through to the end! No matter how long it may take!**

 ** _Emperor's Rose:_ Your the only person to have said you realised Ren was gay, so thank you and I'm glad you enjoy this fic!**

 ** _Guest: WolfyGirl:_ Glad your enjoying it, and I'm interested in who youre OC is, I'd love to have a read!**

 ** _gugusmith42:_ Brotp for the win, yes! And damn, I hadn't considered RenxKiki being a ship but I can actually kind of see it now... Which may or may not mean I write little tidbits of it here and there... Idk its up to you ;) And I'm very happy, originality is something I always aim for, and characterisation I find difficult to achieve, so to hear that is very reassuring!**

 **Thank you again to everyone for your support and to all who read this fic, it really does mean the world to me, and I'm so sorry I cant give my fics the attention and time they deserve.**

 **On a side note, did anyone see the eclipse tonight? It was way too cloudy here... And did anyone use the opportunity to invade the fire nation? Let me now, I watched a live stream and it looked incredible (also symbolic on how I only update once in a blue moon lol).**

 **Anyways this is super long, so sorry for that, but its been a long time. Thank you everybody for reading my fic, and as always, whether you liked what you read or not...**

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

 **-Limegreenarcher**


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